Don't Say Goodbye
by BeTheDream
Summary: When Emma walked out of her life, Regina found herself wondering if she'd ever smile again. But now Emma needs her and she'd do anything to help the only woman she's ever loved. This could be a fresh start, and maybe another shot at their happy ending.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is slightly terrifying because I've never posted OUAT/SQ fic before. This story was inspired by the song Stay by Little Big Town. I also just wanna say a huge huge thank you to Kate (lelianassong on tumblr) for encouraging me to continuing after I hit a wall. And I'll leave it at that.  
If you enjoy it in anyway at all, please leave a review and let me know :)  
Boo x**

* * *

**Chapter One**

"_I can't do this anymore Regina. I think maybe you should take this back." _

_Emma dropped the silver engagement ring onto the counter top where it landed with a clatter. It lay still between them, glittering under the lights above it. Emma watched and waited for Regina's reaction. The fact that there wasn't one made her nervous. There were no tears in her eyes, no muscle twitched, nothing happened. Emma's heart longed to go over and comfort her, but her head knew better. Her own eyes filled with tears as the intense atmosphere in the room got the better of her. _

"_So what happens now?" Regina eventually managed to say, her heart beating hard in her chest._

"_Well, I got offered a job with Boston PD. I'm moving there and after that, who knows?" Emma shrugged her shoulders._

"_It's just that easy for you to leave, is it? You can pack a bag and go without any hesitation? I knew you were the fight or flight kind, I just thought you'd fight a little harder." Tears were starting to bite at Regina's eyes. She swallowed hard._

"_Fight for what, Regina? Ever since the election you're at the office all the damn time. You chose your job over me." _

_Regina didn't reply. She wanted too but she knew Emma was right, so she bit her tongue. There was nothing left for either of them to say. Emma picked up the handle of her suitcase and began dragging it out of the room. She managed to make it to the front door before she heard the clicking of heeled boots following her. _

"_Emma...wait." Regina's words seemed to get stuck in her throat. _

"_I can't, not again Regina." Emma opened up the door and let it swing itself shut behind her._

_An echoing crash shattered the silence of the night. Emma wondered what home accessory had been flung against the wall this time. The last time they fought it was a vase and the time before that it was the lamp. Emma managed to hold herself together long enough to sling her bag on to the back seat of her car and sit herself in the driver's side. Her eyes shone with stinging tears and she took one last look at the home she was leaving behind. With a twist of the key, the bug roared to life and she was away. _

"Swan, where the hell is your head at?!"

Emma shook her head, getting rid of the memory that was plaguing her and threw herself to the ground. A bullet zoomed past her head, missing it by inches and clanging against a metal wall of the warehouse. These memory flashbacks had been happening more often lately, she couldn't believe that she'd let it happen in the middle of a chase. She kept her body low, taking cover behind a rusty crate, but she couldn't stop for long. She could see one of the suspects getting away and it was now or never. She jumped up and ran. Blood was pounding in her ears and sweat trickled down her neck. With one final push of adrenaline, she jumped forward; arms outstretched and knocked the man to the ground. He put up a fight and rammed his elbow into her face. Emma felt the splash of warm blood hit her face. She couldn't work out if it was hers or his. A sharp kick to the stomach was enough to send her flying. Anger washed over her as she watched the man she had been after for weeks, run away.

"Not this time buddy." She growled to herself.

Instinct kicked in, she tightened her grip on her gun and began shooting. The gunpowder made her eyes sting but she carried on. After that it was chaos. It felt like everyone was firing blind and all she could hear was bullets hitting the walls. Emma managed to drag herself up off of the floor and began to run as best as she could.

"EVERYONE DOWN." One of the team screamed.

A flash of light and burning heat engulfed the air around her and she was thrown back against a wall like a ragdoll. Her head smacked against a metal pole and she fell to the floor. What happened after that, she had no idea.

* * *

"_Not again, Regina."_

Those words had spun around Regina's head every day for the last 11 months. She should've known it was coming. They had been so happy for so long, there was no way that it could last. No-one could have everything. Happiness could surely only last for so long. It was for that reason that she began to push Emma away. She'd hide away at the office, leaving Emma on her own night after night. It wasn't fair, she knew it wasn't, but it seemed less painful than facing the truth.

11 months. That's how long Emma had been gone. They had been the longest 11 months on her life. A lot had changed in 11 months but she still thought of Emma every single day. Her heart still ached for the fiery blonde. No-one had ever come close to filling that void. Emma had been her whole world and without her, she had nothing left.

Even now as she sat in her study, there were little reminders of Emma everywhere. There was a stack of _Harry Potter_ books on the bookshelf, completely out of place amongst the heavy leather bound books of Regina's. On the drinks cabinet was a bright purple lava lamp because Emma had decided that the place needed 'livening up.' And hidden in the bottom draw of the desk was a picture of the two of them. Emma had taken it while they were hiking in the woods, just as the sun was setting. It was beautiful and far too precious to just throw away.

After finishing up some work in her office, Regina crawled wearily into bed, a bed that she and Emma had picked out together, and a memory that stung every time she slipped underneath the covers. Even after all their time apart, Regina still remained on her side of the bed. Instinctively, her arm reached out the pillow where Emma should be. She traced lines in the space and fell asleep wishing that she was there.

The call came at 2:43am. A shrill ringing sound filled the room and bounced off of the walls. Regina struggled to open up her eyes and ran her hand around the bedside table to try and get hold of her phone. An unknown number lit up the screen. It made her stomach drop a little. Who would possibly call at 2 in the morning?

It was hard to focus on what she was being told. The same words buzzed around in her brain._ Emma. Explosion. Wounded. _Adrenaline kicked in and her heart started pumping faster than ever. In less than an hour she had managed to shower, get dressed and pack a bag. She ran through the house making sure all the doors and windows were locked. Regina got into her car and revved up the engine. As she left Storybrooke she glanced backwards, hoping the town would survive without her.

Regina drove solidly through the early hours of the morning. She didn't stop once; she just kept going for almost 4 hours. In any other circumstances, she would've liked to have stopped to appreciate the beautiful places she drove through, maybe found somewhere to buy a coffee and watch the sunrise. Now wasn't the time though, she had to get to Emma. Thinking about Emma made her stomach ache. Emma would be all alone, lying in a hospital bed. She might not be awake. She might not be _alive. _Regina scolded herself for thinking such things.

Soon the road signs began to indicate that she wasn't far from Boston. She couldn't help but press her foot a little harder on the accelerator. The sooner she got there, the better.

* * *

Emma's eyes flickered open and she winced at the pain that echoed in her skull. She pushed herself to take a look around the room and groaned upon seeing the man sitting at the end of the bed.

"And Sleeping Beauty arises." He chuckled softly.

"Save it Graham." She lifted her hand to argue back but found she didn't have the energy. "So, what happened? Please tell me I at least saved the day?"

"You did. But then a bullet hit a tank of propane and well..." Graham's sentence trailed off.

"And boom." Emma finished.

"Boom. You went flying, smashed into a pole. You've got broken ribs, sprained muscles and a bad concussion. You'll live. Thought I was gunna have to find a new deputy."

"Well I wasn't planning on going without a fight." Emma held on to her side and tried to sit upright. "You've been here all night?"

"Yeah, couldn't leave you alone and I was too worried to sleep." Emma thought she saw the usually cool Sheriff blush.

"Go on, I'll be fine and you look worse than I do." She winked at him and laughed.

"Listen Emma, I, uh, need to tell you something." Graham rubbed his hands together nervously. "The name listed as your emergency contact, well...it was Regina."

Emma's blood ran cold. This couldn't be happening, not now. She mentally cursed at herself for not changing the details.

"Please, please tell me you stopped them calling?" She asked, already fearing the answer.

Graham shook his head and stared at a spot on the floor. He counted himself lucky that Emma was unable to stand up and smack him around the head.

"Regina's on her way to Boston."

* * *

"I'm here to see Emma Swan." Regina said breathlessly to the young woman behind the desk.

The woman reeled off directions on how to get to the room but Regina only half-listened. Instead she ran ahead in the vague direction that the woman was pointing. The hospital was huge and every corridor looked exactly the same. She turned so many corners and wandered up and down so many wards.

And then she was there. Emma was lying there in her room, presumably asleep.

Regina could see right into her room through the glass window. Seeing Emma again, after what felt like a life time apart, sent her heart into a spiral. She had to steady herself against a wall. It felt like her knees were going to give way beneath her. Emma looked different, yet exactly the same. Her hair was longer and a bright shade of blonde, she looked stronger physically but her eyes showed something else. It was something that Regina was all too familiar with. It was pain and it was longing. Regina stood and watched as Emma's eyes began to close again.

She watched as a tall, handsome man walked across the room with a Styrofoam cup in his hand. He sat down next to the bed and put his hand on top of Emma's. A jealous rage filled Regina. She should've been the one looking after Emma. This man had love in his eyes; he looked like a little puppy dog staring up at her. It was infuriating. Regina held her head up high and marched into the room, displaying a lot more confidence than what she actually felt.

As the door clicked open, the man beside the bed jumped up and out of his seat. His hand hovered near his jacket pocket, presumably near where he kept his gun. Emma fidgeted uncomfortably in her bed obviously disturbed by the quick movement beside her.

"Can I help you?" The man asked. He was standing in a defensive position between the bed and the door. This did not help Regina's already building rage.

"You can get the hell out of the way for a start." Regina narrowed her eyes, mimicking her opponent's stance.

"That's not gunna happen until you tell me why you're here."

"I don't have to tell you anything." She hissed.

Emma rolled her eyes. She tried to pretend she was sleeping so she didn't have to deal with the sudden rush of feelings brought on by hearing Regina's voice. Even if she didn't say a word, Emma knew she was in the room. She could smell her. In their 5 year relationship, Regina never changed perfume. It was intoxicating and every time Emma smelt it, her heart beat overtime. _Play it cool, Swan_ she thought to herself.

"Graham, Regina. Regina, Graham." Emma said wearily.

Reluctantly the pair of them shook hands. Graham now stood a lot more relaxed, Regina on the other hand stayed as she was, too overwhelmed to even move. Graham's eyes flickered between the two women and it was clear to him that he was no longer wanted nor needed in that room.

"I'll be outside if you need me." He said to Emma, nodding his head to make sure it was okay to go.

Regina and Emma were left alone. Emma kept her eyes closed tight. She didn't want to have the conversation that was about to take place. She didn't want to see Regina again. If she saw her again then she'd want her back and she couldn't face going back.

"So, I'm still your emergency contact?" Regina said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah, sorry, I didn't think they'd call you. I meant to change it but, y'know, life kinda got in the way." Emma shrugged her shoulders.

Regina tried hard to not let the sting of that comment get to her. She knew she wasn't really wanted here, but it didn't stop it from hurting slightly.

"You're partner seems...nice." Regina sat down on the chair previously occupied by said 'partner'.

"He's not my partner. He's my boss."

"He likes you." Regina stated bluntly.

"What difference does that make to you?" Emma snapped back.

"No need to be like that, it was just an observation."

Emma couldn't believe the situation she was in. As if the pain of almost being blown to pieces wasn't enough, she now had to deal with the emotional pain of Regina being there. She wouldn't have thought it but the latter was worse. Emma thought about what Regina had said. She knew Graham liked her but deep down she knew she wasn't over Regina. She would never be over Regina, not really.

"Why are you here Regina?" Emma turned herself over a little too quickly and almost began crying at the pain it caused her.

Regina's hand shot out to help comfort Emma. Her hand lingered inches above Emma's but she was too scared to actually touch her.

"They called me Emma. What was I supposed to do?" Regina shook her head. "Ignore it and leave you here on your own?"

"I wasn't on my own." Emma said, sounding like a grumpy teenager.

"And how exactly was I supposed to know that?"

Emma didn't have an answer. If it was the other way around, she would've travelled half way across the world to make sure that Regina was okay but because it was her lying in the hospital bed, weak and injured, it was different. She always thought that if she ever saw Regina again that she'd have her life together. She would be successful and she would be happy. Only she wasn't and she would never be without Regina.

"You didn't have to come here Regina." Emma wouldn't even look at her.

"That's not fair. I was only trying to help."

"You wanna talk about things not being fair?" Emma almost yelled. "What you did to me Regina, that wasn't fair."

"Emma you walked out on me. You left, not me." Regina stood up, suddenly furious.

"What choice did I have?! We were living two separate lives in the same house."

Regina's hands were shaking. She hadn't travelled this far for another argument, to go over the past and relive all the anguish caused by their last goodbye. She felt like she was in limbo. Half of her wanted to stay and look after Emma, whether she liked it or not. The other half wanted to run back to her car and drive away from this wretched place.

"Emma..." Regina whispered.

"Just go home Regina. Go home and get on with your life so I can do the same."

Regina dug around in her purse and pulled out her business card. She left it on the end of the bed. Emma watched as Regina turned and walked away. No argument against the order, no final words, she just turned and left. Regina managed to keep calm long enough to drive to the nearest hotel and check into a room. When she was alone, she collapsed against the door and cried just as hard as she did the last time. Her whole body shook with violent tears that she couldn't control.

Seeing Emma again was the best and worst thing that could've happened. It finally cemented something in her mind. She was going to stay. Every part of her wanted to stay and try and win Emma back. Regina was staying in Boston whether Emma wanted her there or not. It was time to fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone who showed some love to the last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one just as much.  
B x**

* * *

**Chapter Two**

As the day wore on, flashbacks of their fight continuously went through Emma's mind. Each time it brought on a new wave of sadness and frustration. She couldn't stop thinking about the hurt look on Regina's face. Regina had come back to her. Regina had cared enough to come back and make sure she was okay. And what had she done? She'd pushed her away, just like Regina had done to her. It was pathetic and she absolutely knew that it was, yet she'd done it anyway.

Tears lined her eyes and she stared up at ceiling, counting the tiles until she had calmed down. This relationship was not fixable. Regina travelling all this way was going to change nothing. And besides, she was gone now. One quick visit wasn't enough to close the huge space between them. She began counting the tiles again, anything to attempt to take her mind off of Regina.

Regina's card lay on the end of the bed, taunting her. Each time she looked at it, the card seemed to grow heavier and heavier. She wanted to call her. Part of her was afraid to touch it as if it would burn the skin off of her finger tips and so she let it stay right where it was.

For the rest of the day, Emma listened out for the sound of high heels on the tiled floors. Every time she did hear someone walking, her heart leapt out of her chest. Visitors from work came and went, Graham stopped by again and that was a pleasant distraction for a while until he began talking about Regina. Emma kicked him out of the room and told him to go screw himself.

Emma stared back down at Regina's card. She shuffled the blanket on the bed so that the card came to her. Gingerly, she picked it up and twisted it in her hands. This was it, a direct link to her past life - a way to get to Regina. All she had to do was call her, maybe thank her for travelling so far and that was it. She could go back to moving on.

She picked up her phone that sat on the bedside table and quickly dialled the number before she lost her nerve. The phone rang and rang; Emma became more and more nervous. Then came the dreaded "I can't take your call" which was followed by the even worse "Leave a message" and the beep that felt like another blow to the ribs.

"Regina, its Emma. We, uh, need to talk." Emma could hear the shakiness in her voice. She cursed at herself for being so ridiculous.

She dropped the phone and the card back on to the covers. She'd done her bit. If Regina wanted to talk, she'd call.

She had to call.

* * *

Regina didn't stay long in the room before she realised she needed to pull herself together. She got up off of the floor and fixed her make-up. Her eyes will still red and puffy but she needed a drink and the limited choice of the mini bar just wasn't going to cut it.

Out on the streets of Boston, she felt completely out of place. It was beautiful but it was no Storybrooke. A cold wind rushed through the streets and she pulled her coat a little tighter. She wandered up and down different blocks, feeling like she was intruding on Emma's new life. She thought about the amount of times Emma had probably walked these very same streets and looked at the same gorgeous sights. She walked and she walked, taking in as much of Emma's life as possible. Eventually she found her way to the Boston PD building. A rush of anger came over her. She was angry because this is what finally made Emma leave. Emma had traded her in for this place. Okay so the building was beautiful, and the street surrounding it was lovely, but Emma had still left her to come here. Regina snarled and turned her back on the place, heading straight towards the bar across the street.

"Whiskey on the rocks" She ordered before she had even sat down.

The bartender nodded and went to get her drink. Regina dropped her head into her hands and pushed away the hair from her face. She ran her index finders under her eye line, rubbing away any leftover make up residue. The smell of whiskey woke her up as the glass was pushed in front of her.

With one big gulp the glass was empty. This was no time for ladylike behaviour. She gestured for the bartender, who simply nodded, took away the old glass and refilled a new one. As she was about to throw it back, the stool next to her began suddenly occupied.

"That's good whiskey; you're wasting it drinking it like that."

Regina turned the side and saw the handsome stranger from the hospital, Emma's non-partner Graham. He gave Regina a crooked smile and ordered himself a drink. She didn't want to be sat so close to him.

"What are you doing here?" Regina stared him down.

"This is a police bar and I am Sheriff." He gestured towards his badge.

Regina rolled her eyes and finished her whiskey. The two of them sat in a sort of awkward silence. The only thing they had to talk about was Emma, and neither of them wanted to bring that up.

"Emma's tough, I haven't worked with her long but she's tough and she'll be fine." Graham offered some reassurance.

"I don't need you to tell me what Emma Swan is or isn't, _Sheriff_"

"Yeah, I know that you know her well."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Regina turned to him.

"I just mean that occasionally she mentions a 'Regina' and I'm assuming that's you." Graham shrugged his shoulders.

Regina was taken aback. Emma still talked about her? People in Emma's new life were aware of her. Maybe they knew why Emma had left. She felt slightly breathless. This meant that there must be some part of Emma that still cared for her. She had the chance to start completely fresh, erase her whole past and easily move on. Instead Emma had chosen to bring a part of Regina with her.

"So, what's Emma like at work?" Regina asked with a desperate need to stop herself from crying again.

"She keeps to herself, doesn't really socialise outside of work. If she's on a case then she'll work non-stop until it's solved. Dedicated, passionate and stubborn."

Regina chuckled quietly and nodded. That was the Emma that she fell in love with. He had just listed all of the reasons why she loved her so much and more importantly, why she needed her back.

"Every now and then a case will come up and she'll take it personally. It could be as something as small as a comment from a suspect and her eyes will go all...glassy, like she's trying not to remember something."

A sudden sinking feeling hit Regina, making her stomach hurt. Emma wasn't fine at all. That was just a brave face. Even back in Storybrooke Emma had done this. Usually Regina could bring her out of it though. Emma would come home from work to a lovingly made dinner, a large glass of wine and a shoulder to cry on. Now Emma had to deal with it on her own.

"Word of advice, Sheriff, do everything in your power to never let Emma Swan get like that. It will not end well, for either of you." It sounded much more of a threat than she had intended it too, but she was pleased with the resulting look on the Sheriff's face.

The two of them sat in the bar for most of the day, drinking and making idle chit chat. Emma was the taboo subject. Neither of the wanted to directly bring her back into the conversation but somehow she managed to make her way back in.

"You two must be pretty close. You're still her emergency contact even though you live hundreds of miles away." The Sheriff stated with a tiny hint of bitterness in his voice.

"What exactly has Miss Swan told you about me?"

"She said you were best friends, even lived together but then she moved here and you stopped talking to each other."

Regina nodded her lips tight together. This wasn't exactly wrong but it had vital parts missing. Like their relationship, their engagement. Emma had obviously neglected to tell her new colleagues that. Thankfully, Graham couldn't see the battle going on inside Regina's head. She wanted to go to the hospital to see her 'best friend' and make sure she was okay, but at the same time she wanted to bang Emma's head against the wall.

"We were close. But things change and people move on." Regina finished the drink in her hand.

"How long are you planning on staying here in Boston?"

"I don't know, until the end of the week maybe. At least until Miss Swan is out of the hospital." Regina shrugged.

Once they said their goodbyes, Regina did actually feel a little bit better, a lot more drunk but better. She hailed a taxi and slid into the back seat. She reeled off the name of her hotel and the car pulled out.

"Actually, I need you to make a stop on the way."

Regina sat back and smiled.

* * *

Emma woke the next morning with an uncomfortable feeling as a nurse took her vitals. She was being prodded and poked for a good 10 minutes before the nurse noticed that she was actually awake.

"Ah good, you're awake. There is someone waiting to see you."

Her heart jumped and filled with desperate hope that it would be Regina. She watched the door, her eyes wide with anticipation. It was difficult to hide her disappointment when Graham walked in instead.

She forced herself to smile and nod at him. "Long night?"

Graham ran his hands through his hair and rubbed his eyes. Obviously he looked a lot worse than he felt.

"Met someone in a bar last night." He laughed and sat down in the chair.

"Nope, don't wanna know." Emma shook her head.

"Emma, it was Regina."

"She's, uh, she's still here?" Emma raised an eyebrow, that feeling of hope burning inside of her again.

Graham nodded and Emma's heart skipped a beat again. Even after everything she had said to her, Regina had stayed in Boston. Emma had given her an out. She could've left and never turned back, but she didn't. She stayed.

Emma, needing to be alone with her thoughts, told Graham she'd call him if she needed anything and sent him away. She closed her eyes and fell asleep smiling because Regina had stayed.

When she woke up, a large bouquet of flowers was sitting on her bedside table. She opened up the card and grinned.

"_Yours, Regina_."

* * *

Regina was able to sleep solidly and comfortably knowing that the flowers would be on their way to Emma. It was really a simple gesture, a get well soon from a friend - a close friend. She looked over the receipt and her heart fluttered. She thought back to the very beginning of their relationship. Back when things were simple.

_Emma was the one who had started the sending-flowers tradition. It was before they had started officially dating and Emma had sent a small, but incredibly thoughtful, bunch of pink carnations. Regina hated them but she was touched by the gesture. After spending so long being at loggerheads with Emma, it was a nice peace offering. After that, they would send flowers back and forth after every argument. It had become expected. Each of them would wait for the flowers to appear, depending on who had initiated the argument._

_Then one day, after a particularly vicious spat, Emma appeared at Regina's office with a considerably larger bouquet of roses. It was a wonderful surprise and Regina was completely taken aback._

"_Miss Swan? I wasn't expecting to see you." Regina said, trying to keep her cool._

"_Yeah but, you know, the flower thing and I was in the area anyway so I thought I'd uh drop these by." It was clear to see that Emma was blushing and possibly regretting the hand delivery._

_Regina stood up from her desk and walked over to Emma. Her heels tapping on the floor made Emma's heart pound. She took the flowers out of Emma's arms and brought them up to her face, taking in the refreshing scent of them._

"_Thank you, they're beautiful." Regina smiled softly in appreciation._

"_Well if the shoe fits or whatever." Emma looked mortified at what had just slipped out of her mouth. "That was dumb; I don't know why I said that."_

"_Excuse me?" Regina raised an eyebrow, equally as shocked._

"_I don't know what we are, Regina. I don't know what's going on. I don't know why I can't seem to stay away from you. Sometimes I find myself wanting to pick fights with you just so I can buy you flowers because I know they make you happy. And I don't even _like_ flowers but I love getting them from you because, well, they're from you. And maybe I'm being way out of line and I've got the completely wrong end of the stick but Regina, I like you. I like you a lot actually." Emma couldn't keep her hands still and her cheeks were bright red. _

_Regina was speechless. For someone whose job relied on public speaking, this was a bizarre feeling. She had never taken the time to sit down and think about how she felt for Emma. Did she like her? It was possible. She had come to almost enjoy meetings with Emma. They talked about town business, budgets and functions but they'd also talked about music, movies and their childhoods. Were their meetings for business or pleasure?_

_Feeling incredibly awkward, Emma stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Okay so I've obviously stuck my foot in it. I'll see you around. Bye, Regina."_

"_Drinks" Regina called out after her. "Let's go for drinks."_

_The grin that spread across Emma's face made Regina's heart flutter. Even if she hadn't thought about her feelings towards Emma, there was undoubtedly something there. Whatever it was, it was exciting._

Her phone ringing pulled her out of her little trip down memory lane. It was the hospital calling. Emma would be released that afternoon and they wanted to know if she would be able to pick her up, considering she was the emergency contact.

"I'll be there." Regina nodded and hung up the phone.

* * *

A range of colourful obscenities rang out through the hallways of Emma's ward. She got dressed slowly and incredibly uncomfortably. Every muscle ached but at least she was conscious. By some great feat, she managed to pull on yoga pants and a tank top. She grumbled at the angry red marks on her face and arms. As Emma turned away from her reflection, her heart jumped.

Her eyes settled on the gorgeous silhouette standing at the window. She longed to creep up behind Regina and wrap her arms around her waist. She moved closer, somehow resisting the urge to hold her.

"They called you?" Emma forced out,

"Emergency contact, remember?" Regina turned around and smiled.

"Yeah, I remember. Thanks for the flowers." Emma said quietly. "And thanks for being here, Regina."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else, you know that."

Emma's eyes traced Regina's body. It was almost like seeing her in a new light. Her hands ached to reach out and touch her. She wanted to stroke Regina's back, run her hands up and down her arms. Physically, she hadn't changed much. Maybe she'd lost a little weight but she still looked absolutely stunning. Emma finally let go of some of her restrained and put her hand on Regina's shoulder. Regina finally turned around and Emma let herself fall into Regina's arms. They hugged and it was beautiful.

"I'm glad that it's you here." Emma mumbled in to Regina's shoulder.

It suddenly hit Regina how severely she had missed Emma's touch. She missed the closeness and it almost hurt holding her right now. It all hit her with the force of a sledge hammer. Or a propane explosion.

They clung to each other as if they were clinging on for dear life. Regina lost herself in Emma's embrace. It was like slipping into a warm bath, or reading a favourite book. It was comfortable, it was familiar and it was home.

Emma was the one to eventually break away from the hug. "I didn't realise I needed you here Regina."

A teary film covered Regina's eyes and Emma felt a twinge of guilt. She didn't mean to make her cry. She wiped her thumbs underneath Regina's eyes. And then they were closer than they had been in 6 months. Emma placed a single, soft kiss on Regina's cheek.

Regina cleared her throat. "Are you ready to go?"

Emma nodded and smiled. It was a brave face that Regina could see right through. She turned to pick up her flowers and her bag. She winced at the weight of the bag but continued to pull it onto her shoulder. Regina rolled her eyes and took the bag from her.

As they put Emma's things into the back seat of her car, Regina once again felt her heart flutter. She could feel Emma's hand on the small of her back and she caught her breath.

Emma looked at Regina and smiled nervously. "Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Quick thank you to everyone who did review and followed the story! I've planned out almost all of the story so hopefully I can get posting a bit quicker. If you enjoy the chapter, or have anything at all to say about it, drop a review!**_  
_**B x**_

* * *

**Chapter Three**

Emma couldn't stop taking sneaky glances at Regina as she drove the two of them to her apartment. Occasionally she'd need to focus on the road in order to give directions but between that, her eyes were focused on Regina. She noticed how her hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel, how she furrowed her eyebrows when reading the signs, and how she bit her lip right before she turned to look at Emma.

"Emma? Are you listening?" Regina snapped.

"Yeah sorry, take a left at the end of the road." Emma replied nodding towards the end of the road.

Being back in Regina's car was a strange feeling. She'd sat in this seat so many times before and yet this time it felt like it was brand new. The leather of the seat was still soft and worn. She felt comfortable in this car, despite the air of tension that was currently filling it. Driving through the streets of Boston was different with Regina.

If they were here under better circumstances, Emma thought, if everything hadn't fallen apart maybe they could've visited here together. The two of them could've explored the hidden streets, discover quiet coffee shops and wander hand in hand through the parks. It would've been beautiful and peaceful with just them.

As the car turned on to Emma's street her stomach twisted into a knot. She noticed that Regina's hand's held on even tighter to the wheel, so much so that her knuckles were turning white. It was good to know that she wasn't the only one feeling sick with nerves.

"It's the big one at the end." Emma pointed towards a tall brick building, with a green canopy over the door and portly doorman standing out the front.

Regina waited for a car to pass before turning in and parking her car. The noise of the engine slowly silenced and they sat there in the quiet. She didn't want to assume that she would be invited into Emma's apartment and part of her didn't particularly want to go there anyway. Regardless, she undid her seatbelt and opened her door. The least she could do was help Emma get her things out of the back.

Following Regina's lead, Emma climbed out, slamming the door behind her. By the time she was out, Regina had already gotten the bag and the flowers. The bag was placed on the floor by their feet and the flowers were carefully placed in her arms. Emma took a deep intake of air.

"Did you wanna come up for coffee or something?" Emma offered practically waiting to be shot down.

"Coffee would be wonderful, thank you." Regina nodded and smiled.

Emma's eyes locked on Regina's and she nodded back. Regina picked up the bag from the floor and followed Emma towards the building. They both said hello to the doorman who held open the big glass door.

The decadence of the building surprised Regina. She wouldn't have expected Emma to choose this place to live. When they were furniture shopping for the Mayor's Manor, she had sneered at the things Regina picked out. She had out-rightly laughed when Regina suggested a crystal chandelier.

"_We don't need all that shiny crap." Emma laughed as she dismissed a set of silver candlesticks. "I have you and you're 10 times more beautiful." _

Regina blushed at the memory. She'd bought those candlesticks immediately afterwards, and they still stood on the mantelpiece in her work office. As they walked through the lobby, Regina's eyes scanned everything. It was a medium sized lobby but with its high ceiling, it appeared a lot bigger. She followed Emma to the elevator and waited patiently for the doors to slide open.

As the elevator zoomed up towards the seventh floor, anxiety washed over Emma. The thought of Regina being in her new apartment was suddenly terrifying and she wasn't sure if she was ready. Regina knew she was never big on home accessories but the lack of anything homely was bound to surprise her. She only ever kept what she really needed, and that wasn't much. The elevator stopped and they both nervously stepped out.

"I'll give you fair warning, it's nothing compared to our old house." Emma mumbled, unlocking the door.

_Our old house. _Instantly she regretted saying it. She bit down on her tongue. She could tell from the pained look on Regina's face that it was a stupid thing to say.

Emma pushed the door and it swung slowly open. She held her arm out and gestured for Regina to go straight in. Regina stepped over the threshold slowly, like doing so too fast would cause an earthquake. Emma's instincts were spot on. Regina was shocked at the apartment.

It was a flat-pack home. It was empty and it was quiet. There were no pictures on the stark white walls, there were no pictures anywhere. The whole place was devoid of any real colour. Everything was neutral. Emma had wandered into the centre of the room. Regina's heart ached for Emma. She looked so small and frail in this empty home. They had put so much time into their house together, even if it was reluctantly on Emma's part.

"The job doesn't leave much time for decorating so..." Emma trailed off, embarrassed.

"No, of course. It's lovely." Regina replied. Even as she said it she didn't believe what she was saying.

Emma rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yeah, okay Regina."

Regina laughed back in response, and for the first time in months, they both felt a surge of real happiness. They looked at each other as their laughter died down. Both of them felt a strange mix of comfort and vulnerability. This was how they should've been, always. The laughter had left their relationship a long time ago, and yet here it was once again.

"It's good to laugh with you again." Regina looked down at the ground, slightly embarrassed.

"It's good to hear you laugh again."

The air of awkwardness was between them again.

"So you still want that coffee?" Emma asked, breaking the silence.

"Please. Black..." Regina began to reply.

"Black with one sugar; some things never change." Emma chuckled and turned towards the kitchen.

The living room was quiet once again with Regina standing still in the middle. As she looked around the room, her heart sunk thinking of Emma living here alone. From what she could tell, there was nothing here from their life together in Storybrooke. She thought of the nights they'd spent cuddled up on the couch, a blanket covering their legs and a bowl of popcorn between them. For so long they had a blissful relationship and now it was like being right back at square one, only they had a history that they were both painfully aware of.

Regina tiptoed over to the window. She moved slower when the floorboards creaked, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Emma's apartment had a stunning view of the town. It seemed incredibly peaceful for a city. She could see what drew Emma towards Boston.

5 minutes later, Emma returned with two mugs in her hand. She put them down on the wooden coffee table and began to edge her way towards the sofa. As she started to sit herself down, her muscles screamed out in protest. The pain was obvious on her face and Regina moved quickly to help ease her down.

Emma bit her lip and dropped her head back on the cushion. "Thanks."

Regina sat down next to her, perched on the edge, not wanting to get too comfortable. "You're welcome."

"No, I mean it Regina. Thank you. Thank you for being here. And thank you for staying here even after I was such an ass."

Regina blushed and looked down at her feet. She didn't need to say anything. If you spend enough time with someone, especially someone you love, words are often unnecessary. Emma knew what she was thinking. Regina picked up her coffee mug and took a small swig. She closed her eyes and breathed in the warm scent. If Emma was good for anything, it was strong coffee.

"Any good?" Emma watched anxiously.

"Perfect." Regina nodded. "As always."

Emma felt a rush of pride and it gave her butterflies. Even after all this time she got the same feeling from making Regina happy. Emma would've done anything to see Regina smile. She had a beautiful smile. It was innocent and carefree. That was the Regina she had fallen for all those years ago.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

_Emma had always hated these fundraising events. They were boring, full of obnoxious people and the free alcohol ran out far too quickly. She sat at her table, watching everyone mingle. It was embarrassing. Everyone suddenly became over-interested in everyone else's business. It was too much and she wasn't nearly drunk enough to deal with it. As she threw back the last mouthful of wine in her glass, her stomach growled as if it was eating itself. She made a bee-line for the practically untouched buffet._

_A fairly impressive spread of food lay out in front of her and she began picking her way down the table. With a mouth full of mini honey-glazed ham bites, the last person she had expected to bump into was the sole reason for this fundraiser. Regina Mills. She was the city's new project. She'd fought her way through the politics game and now, one step from the top, Emma was pleased to see that she looked equally as fed up. _

"_Shouldn't you be schmoozing or something?" Emma moved her way closer to Regina._

"_Believe it or not, this was not my idea." Regina shook her head and gave a small wave to someone across the room._

_Emma raised an eyebrow. "The party or the politics?"_

"_Both." Regina sighed._

"_For what it's worth, you're doing pretty great." _

"_Thank you Miss...?"_

"_Swan. Emma Swan." Emma held out her hand towards Regina. _

"_Regina Mills. It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Swan." Regina smiled in that perfectly fake politician way. It was a pretty smile, sure, but it was so obviously forced._

"_Likewise." Emma tilted her chin upwards in acknowledgement. _

_As a waiter walked past, Emma grabbed two wine glasses and passed one to her new friend. They had been making fairly awkward small talk when Emma missed her mouth and dribbled wine down the front of her dress. She cursed under her breath, kicking herself for being such a clutz. When she looked up, Regina was giggling and offering her a napkin. Gratefully she took it and tried to clean up. _

_Emma began laughing at herself, causing Regina to only laugh more. Before they could stop themselves, they were both in fits of laughter. Emma clutched at her side and Regina was trying to wipe tears for her eyes. That was when she first felt it. She wasn't sure what it was exactly but something was there. Seeing Regina laughing as if she had no care in the world made her heart race. It made her want to be witty and hilarious all the time, just so she could make Regina laugh. It was exciting and it was new. _

_The pair exchanged phone numbers right before Regina was called up on stage. That was the last time Emma saw Miss Mills that night but she went home with her smile and her laugh burned into her memory._

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Two hours and two empty coffee mugs later, the two women were still sitting together on Emma's couch. It had been easier than they had thought to slip back into old ways. They reminisced over the best parts of their relationships, gossiped about the people they knew and they were happy.

Emma's walk-out remained a completely taboo subject. It was in the air, it sparked between them but neither of them could say. They both wanted too of course. Emma wanted to explain her actions. All Regina wanted to know, was why.

"You should come take a vacation up here Regina. When I'm not all banged up." Emma suggested, with the hope that they could maybe become friends again.

"Or you could come and visit Storybrooke." "Regina countered quickly. "Everyone asks about you. For a long time all I heard about was you. Mary Margaret was incessant, constantly asking questions."

"Yeah she can be a little...intense. Sorry you had to deal with that." Emma smiled sadly.

"If you hadn't left in the middle of the night, I wouldn't have had too." Regina mumbled, bitterness creeping into her tone.

"Don't." Emma snapped. "Do not go there Regina."

She sat up straighter preparing herself for a fight.

"You could've stayed!" Regina could feel her anger rising again. They were back again, fighting the same battle.

"Yeah, and you could've followed!" The words slipped out of Emma's mouth before she could stop them.

The words stung each of them. It was like ice. Something neither of them had wanted to hear. Up until this point she hadn't even admitted it to herself, and now there it was, up in the air for both of them to deal with. Deep down she had wanted Regina to follow. She had wanted her to fight. Maybe that would've put the spark back in their relationship.

Regina was dumbstruck. She had no idea following was an option. Emma left and that was it. Wrongly, she had assumed that Emma did not want to be followed. Otherwise she wouldn't have driven off so quickly. It was completely unexpected but it was the push Regina needed. This was it - the time to fight.

"You wanted me to follow you?" Regina whispered softly.

"I don't know." Emma hesitated. "I wanted you Regina. That's all I've ever wanted. That's why I left. I wanted you and you were right there but I couldn't have you. Your body was there but that was it. I wanted all of you. And maybe that's selfish but I don't care. I want you Regina. I still want you."

"Then come home." Regina muttered. It was barely audible but she had definitely said it.

"Regina, what are you saying?" Emma raised an eyebrow. She knew exactly what she was saying but she needed to hear it clearly.

Regina took a deep breath. "Come home. Come with me back to Storybrooke."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you to all of you have favourited and reviewed so far! I'm glad you're enjoying the story. Wedding &amp; holiday season begins for me this month so this is possibly the only update for the month. A few of you have messaged asking whether I had a tumblr, which I do! My URL is firebirdfly so if you wanna head over there, by all means do. As always, if you like it leave a review!  
Have a great summer!  
B x**

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**Chapter Four**

Emma's head was spinning with what Regina had just said. She was grateful that she was sitting down because her knees felt like they'd been taken out of her legs. She could feel Regina's eyes piercing into her. With her heart in her throat, Emma lifted her gaze to meet Regina's.

Reading Emma's face had never been this hard. Regina watched her, trying desperately to understand whether she had said the wrong thing or not. Regina's heart was sinking quicker and quicker, and the longer Emma didn't say anything, the further it dropped.

"I should go. I'm sorry Emma I..." Regina's sentence was cut off.

Emma had grabbed hold of her hand and forced herself to stand up. She battled against the fiery pain that was coursing through her body, her hand still clutched to Regina's. Standing this close, Emma's heart joined her head in a twirl. Without thinking, she kissed her. She held Regina's jaw in the palms of her hands and she kissed her. At first Regina began to pull away, taken aback by the whole thing but when Emma held on, she moved herself closer. Emma was warm and even though she must've been in pain, she let Regina hold on to her. When they eventually separated, they were breathless. Regina could feel her heart smashing against her ribcage.

"You really want me to come back?" Emma stammered.

"I never wanted you to leave, Emma." Regina replied softly.

"Please Regina, you have to understand, I'm gunna need to think about this. I want to say yes, but it won't be easy to go back." Emma shook her head. She could feel her hands shaking.

"I understand." Regina closed her eyes and nodded.

And she truly did understand. It would painful but if Emma needed time, then that's exactly what she'd have. Regina lifted up Emma's hands and kissed them. It didn't do anything to help with the shakiness of them.

"It's just I have work here and..." Emma looked troubled as she spoke.

"Emma, it's okay. Take your time. I want you. But I want you to be happy. Even if that means saying goodbye."

Outside the apartment, light rain started hitting against the window. Emma could see the shine of streetlights and car lights in the distance.

"It's getting kinda late. You wanna stay for dinner?" Emma offered, desperately wanting Regina to stay.

"You can cook now?" Regina raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Well, no. My takeout dialling finger is pretty quick though!" Emma grinned sheepishly.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina groaned and took another bite of noodles from the container in her hand.

"It's good right? Best Chinese food in town." Emma grinned and tucked into her own meal.

Due to the large amount of food in her mouth, Regina couldn't reply but she nodded vigorously and held up an 'Ok' symbol with her hand. The pair had devoured the meal in no less than 30 minutes. Emma sat back, her hands behind her head and her feet up on the table. Regina was right next to her with her legs curled up underneath her on the sofa. If this had been last year, Regina would've rested her head on Emma's chest and really cuddled in to her. As it was, she didn't want to push her luck.

The night was drawing in fast, and they'd watched so much mindless TV that Regina could almost feel her brain turning to mush. Emma seemed content though, and that was all that mattered. They had moved closer to each other, underneath a large blanket that Emma had pulled from the depths of her closet. It was Emma who had initiated the couch-cuddle. She'd put her arm around Regina's shoulders and pulled her down towards her.

"This isn't hurting?" Regina asked, cautiously resting her head on Emma's shoulder.

Emma shrugged. "It's not that bad."

It wasn't long before Regina could feel Emma's breath shallow in her chest. And then came the faint sound of snoring that Regina, after many years living together, had learned to practically drown out. She shook her head and laughed quietly to herself. Being careful not to wake her up, Regina manoeuvred herself out from under Emma's arm.

The clock on the television showed that it was getting on for midnight. She knew she should leave but she didn't want Emma waking up on the couch, all alone and in pain. At the same time it didn't feel appropriate to fall asleep next to her. Regina quickly scanned the room for a place to sleep. With some effort, she pulled the arm chair from the corner of the room and dragged it up to the coffee table.

"This'll have to do." She muttered. And with that she settled down for what was sure to be the most uncomfortable sleep of her life.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Fuck." Emma growled as she slowly woke up.

Every inch of her body was hurting 10 times as much as it was the night before. She was leaning on her arm, her elbow pressed right into her broken ribs. Her neck was twisted and she had pins and needles running through both of her legs. When her eyes opened and focused themselves, she saw Regina's hunched figure on the armchair.

"Oh man." She sighed, throwing her head back and causing a bolt of pain to shoot through her neck.

Emma bit down on the inside of her cheek and pushed herself up from the couch. The pain of it made her head spin. Regardless, she powered through it even though it started to bring tears to her eyes. She tiptoed past Regina and into the kitchen. She needed painkillers and coffee and she needed them now.

Flicking the switch, the coffee machine whirred into life and soon the smell filled the kitchen. Emma was already beginning to feel more alive because of it. While she waited for the coffee to brew, she hastily swallowed two painkillers and silently prayed that they would kick in quickly. Emma put a set of mugs down on the counter top and stood staring as black liquid filled the pot.

"Is that the famous Emma Swan coffee I can smell?" Regina called out from just outside the kitchen.

"It is. You're right on time." Emma smiled, sliding the now filled mug across the counter top. "How did you sleep?"

"Terribly. And you?" Regina arched her back and yawned.

Emma didn't say anything but she nodded and the pain was evident on her face.

"I think I'm going to go back to Storybrooke today." Regina muttered under her breath.

"Uh, you're, why?" Emma said, choking on her words.

"Because it's not fair, Emma!" Regina snapped, sounding a lot angrier than she had meant too. "It's not fair to either of us. Even being in the same room with you for too long is painful. It's a reminder of what we don't have. Spending even this much time with you is making me feel human again. And then I'll have to leave. And I know you said you'd think about it, but I know you and I have to prepare myself for the fact that I'll be going home alone. I'll be back in our bed but you won't be there."

Regina turned away quickly. She could feel the tears start to form in her eyes. She did not need Emma to see her cry.

"Don't go. Not just yet. It's been good to see you again. If you want to leave then I won't stop you but at least stay for the day."

"I'm going to leave now." Regina turned to Emma who looked heartbroken. "But I'll be back soon. I promise." She placed a soft kiss on Emma's cheek and turned to leave the kitchen.

"Remember, I have connections now. If you don't come back then I'll come find you." Emma called out. 'will track yo. If you don'. "hat fell.t to form in her eyes. undisturbed sleep. I laughed and I smiled. And tShe heard Regina laugh right before the door slammed shut.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Regina was thankful for the emptiness of the elevator. The music filled the space and she didn't need to think or talk. She ran out to her car, shut herself in and dropped her head against the steering wheel. It was colder than she had expected so she started the engine to warm up. It took her a minute to get her bearings and remember the way back to her hotel.

She kept her mind focused as she drove. She didn't want to think about Emma. She needed time to process everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. She wouldn't let herself think until she was safely locked in her hotel room and lying flat out on the bed. Regina listened to the sound of her heart beating. Several deep breaths later and it returned back to its normal pace.

With a heavy sigh, Regina pushed herself up off of the bed and dragged her feet to the bathroom. She switched on the shower and let the room fill up with steam as she stripped down. The hot water was a welcome relief on her aching muscles. She grabbed the complimentary bottle of body wash from the tray in the shower and emptied half of it into her hand. Bubbles covered her as she washed away the scent of Emma.

Wrapped in a bath towel, her hair dripping down her back, Regina collapsed back down on to the bed. She lay still once more as she struggled to sum up the energy to get ready. It was only when she heard her phone buzzing in her handbag that she decided to move. The screen glowed from the bottom of her bag and she could already see Emma's name in the centre.

"_We're going out for breakfast. Be quick. Emma."_

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma paced up and down her apartment waiting for Regina. She had got ready in record time. Managing to shower, get dressed and making her bruised face look half-way decent in the space of about half an hour. She chewed her nails with anticipation. She didn't realise how much of a nervous wreck she looked until she caught sight of herself in the mirror. This was the Regina Effect. It was the effect that caused usually strong-minded people to stutter when saying what they think, the effect that caused confident people to stare at the pavement when they passed her. Secretly, Emma had always been impressed by it but now that she was a victim of it, she loathed it.

Just as she was beginning to move on, Regina came swooping back into her life like an emotional hurricane. Emma didn't know how to feel. No-one ever told her how to survive the return of an ex. Emma shook her head and smiled to herself. Regina was more than just an ex. She was The Ex. She was the one that Emma would forever hold other dates up against. Regina was the bar they had to reach and she had set that bar high. She had changed everything.

As she once more marched her way from one side of the room to the other, she heard her phone vibrate on the coffee table. Emma shook her head in annoyance as she read the message on the screen.

"_Get downstairs now. You're late. I'm waiting."_

She cursed under her breath as she remembered all the times Regina had pulled this stunt in the past. Emma was always the one that was late. Regina was never late, and Regina was never wrong. She stuck the phone in her pocket and shrugged her arms into her jacket, being careful not to twist her body too much. Patting her pockets, she made sure she had her keys and wallet and she headed out the door.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"It's not exactly Granny's Diner, but it's not bad, right?" Emma grinned as a plate of pancakes was set down in front of her. "I had to find some sort of replacement."

"No, it's not Granny's but it will do." Regina stared down at the egg white omelette in front of her. "We may not always see eye to eye but damn that woman knows how to cook."

Emma shrugged her shoulders and looked at Regina. "You're better."

Regina's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?"

"Are you kidding me? Regina, I haven't eaten lasagne since..." She hesitated and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Well the last lasagne I ate was one you made."

"Best lasagne in town." Regina smiled to herself.

Emma nodded in agreement. She had always admired Regina's cooking abilities. The morning after their first night together, Regina had made them both a huge array of food. From then on, whenever she got the chance, Emma would turn up at Regina's house for home cooked food. It was a win-win situation. Regina would feed Emma's stomach and Emma would feed Regina's ego.

"You could've learnt how to make it, had you paid any attention to what I was saying." Regina raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"I didn't need to learn to cook." Emma argued.

"After tasting your mac and cheese, I beg to differ."

Emma nudged her leg under the table and frowned. "Shut up."

Regina opened her mouth to fire back a sarcastic comment when Emma's phone started ringing in her pocket.

"Saved by the bell, so it seems." She pursed her lips and leant back in her chair.

"Swan speaking." Emma said as she pressed the phone to her ear.

Regina strained to hear the conversation on the other side. As she spoke, Emma's forehead was become more and more scrunched up in frustration. She began chewing on her lip. Regina watched her carefully, waiting for her to hang up the phone.

"You finished?" Emma gestured towards Regina's plate, waiting for her to nod in response. "Good, because they need me to head over to the station so we gotta go."

They left in a hurry, with Emma dropping a handful of bills on to the table and Regina almost tripping over her chair. As they marched out of the door, Emma's foot snagged on a loose pavement tile almost sending her to the floor. Regina flung out her arm, grabbing on to Emma and causing a whole new slur of curse words from her mouth. Emma bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as the pain snaked through her body and the spark from Regina's touch burned on her skin.

"Thanks." Emma grimaced as she tried to get her balance back.

"Be careful." Regina scolded, walking ahead towards the car.

_You really want to go back to that Swan?_ She thought to herself. Regina treated her like a child, it wasn't always intentional but being talked down to when she had done wrong was nothing but patronising. It was something that had always grated on her, and something that she occasionally tried to play upon. Getting on Regina's nerves had always been one of her strong suits. But part of her did want to go back to that. She wanted their old relationship back. Not the broken mess it eventually became. She didn't need to go through that again. Emma could feel the frustration starting to form.

"Will you stop sulking and get in the damn car!" Regina called out across the street, her arms folded stubbornly over her chest.

Emma stormed over to the car. The scowl on her face was evident to Regina, even from a distance. She got into the car and slammed the door with such force that the whole car shook. Regina followed after her, keeping her eyes on Emma.

"What is your problem?" Regina snarled.

"I'm not a fucking child Regina so quit treating me like one."

"Then stop acting like one." She retorted. "The whole world is not against you, Miss Swan."

Regina pressed her foot down on the accelerator. She could see the station ahead of them and she was desperate to get this car ride over with. She could leave Emma at there. After that, she had a half a mind to leave Boston for good. She'd clearly caused enough problems. As she slowed the car down to a stop, she prepared herself to say goodbye to Emma. Her stomach flipped and her mouth went dry. Another goodbye that was sure to break her heart.

"Are you coming?" Emma said sharply, breaking the silence.

She couldn't speak, her tongue still felt tied, but she nodded and proceeded to get out of the car.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sheriff Graham sat behind his desk, waiting nervously for Emma to arrive. He hated to be the bearer of bad news and he knew Emma was not going to happy with what he had to say.

As he saw the mess of blonde curls walking towards him, his heart started racing. Already she had a fierce expression on her face. This was not going to end well.

"You better be about to tell me I can come back or you've ruined my morning." Emma growled.

"I want you back at work Swan, you know I do. It's just that..." Graham trailed off, not wanting to finish his sentence.

"It's just what?" Emma hit her hand down on the table.

"Well, you're signed off for at least 3 weeks. After that you need to get permission from your doctor. Once you've got that, then you can come back. And then you need to complete a course." He frowned.

"Easy, just tell me where to go." Emma shrugged.

"No, Emma, it's a course of therapy. 6 weeks mandatory." His sentence trailed off in to a whisper.

It was then that everything became clear to her. She knew what she needed to do. It was like a penny had dropped and she was left with no doubt in her mind.

"Fine. I'll see a therapist." Emma reluctantly agreed.

"Good." He smiled smugly.

"But I'm seeing one in Storybrooke."

"What?!" Regina and Graham exclaimed in unison.

"You heard me." Emma nodded and turned to Regina. "I'm coming home."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews/messages! The support means a lot. I know it's taken me ages to upload this but August has been an insanely busy month!  
Thanks xx**

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**Chapter Five**

"_Are you staying the night?" Regina yawned as she lay back on the couch._

"_Don't I usually?" Emma raised an eyebrow, sitting down beside Regina._

_Regina nodded in reply; too tired to actually speak. She closed her eyes and felt Emma lift her legs up and put them onto her lap. She could feel Emma running her fingers up and down her shins. It was relaxing and comforting, and it only served to make her even sleepier. _

_Having spent all evening with her, Emma found she still couldn't get enough of Regina. With her girlfriend's eyes closed, Emma took the opportunity to take in every inch of the person lying next to her. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Emma felt like the luckiest woman in the entire world. There wasn't a minute of the day that she wouldn't spend with her if she could. And then she realised what she needed to do._

"_Regina, I do usually stay the night. I've spent more time here than I have at Mary Margaret's and I still pay rent there. Don't you think that's kind of ridiculous?" Emma reasoned, trying to gauge a reaction from Regina's sleepy face._

_She didn't actually get a response; all she got was a nod and a half-hearted smile. This could've been the wrong time to approach the subject but she had to try and so she continued on in her effort._

"_This week I've spent 6 out of 7 nights here. My toothbrush is here, my pyjama's are here and, well, you're here. So maybe I should just, I don't know, move in?" She held her breath, waiting to be shot down and dismissed. _

_It was the jolt Regina needed to wake up. She opened up her eyes and scanned them across Emma's uneasy looking face. She could tell that Emma was being absolutely serious. _

"_You want to move in here?" Regina inquired._

_Emma nodded confidently. "Yes. I want to move in here." _

_She held out her hand in Emma's direction. She took hold of it and helped pull Regina up from her laid back position. Regina swung her leg over Emma and sat herself down on her lap. She took hold of Emma's hands and laced their fingers together. Emma's hands were soft and warm. Regina leaned in close and placed her lips onto Emma's. It made Regina breathless, as always, and caused her heart to beat uncontrollably. _

_She pulled away, struggling to catch her breath "Move in with me, Emma Swan."_

_Emma grinned and her whole face lit up. She put her hand on the sides of Regina's face and pulled her back into the kiss. Emma could still feel the warmth of apple cider on Regina's breath. She took her hands from Regina's face and wrapped them around her waist, her fingers tracing lines across her back._

"_I love you, Regina." Emma muttered, her lips still touching Regina's._

_Cold fingertips snaked up the side of Emma's shirt, digging marks into her skin. Regina could feel the goose bumps spring up across Emma's skin yet she continued moving her hands until they hit lace straps of her bra. She tugged down on them, sending a fresh wave of goose bumps across Emma's delicate skin._

"_I thought you were tired?" Emma teased, tugging at the buttons on Regina's shirt until she was completely exposed._

"_Sleep is for the weak, Miss Swan. You should know that by now." _

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx _

Emma never realised how many clothes she had until she had to pack them all into a suitcase. She had rummaged around her whole apartment looking for things she could use to move her stuff from Boston to Storybrooke. She had a large suitcase, a weekend bag and one old moving box that looked like it was going to fall apart. Regina had offered to help her but she had politely declined. This was something she needed to do on her own. She had to give herself a little bit of time to make sure that she was doing the right thing. All Regina would do was distract her. All Regina ever did was distract her.

It didn't take long though for Emma to be almost begging for a distraction. She had lasted only an hour into packing before she had given up. She carefully sat herself down on the floor and leant against the wall. A dull ache began to throb in her lower back and she closed her eyes, trying her best to ignore the pain. At least she could count on Regina to look after her. No matter what happened in the past, she knew Regina would be there for her. It was comforting to know someone cared about her that much. That's why it had been so hard to leave. Growing up, all she had known was people pretending to care, but not Regina. She was the ice-cold mayor with the warmest heart Emma had ever known.

Just thinking of Regina caused a dopey smile to spread across Emma's face. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the feeling and knowing that she had a lot to do. With difficulty, Emma stretched her legs and began to stand up. It didn't matter what she took back with her, all that mattered was that she was going back. She had to remind herself that it might not be forever and that maybe this would all go terribly wrong but it was worth a shot. She had to find out.

Emma put her phone down on the bedside table and put the music on shuffle. With her favourite songs filling up every corner of her bedroom, she grabbed whatever she could and stuffed it into the case. All she wanted to do now was go home.

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In her hotel room, Regina lay back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She couldn't believe what was happening. Emma was coming home. She was well aware that it was only a temporary thing but by tonight Emma would be back where she belongs. It was incredibly difficult to hide the giddiness that was building up inside her.

Her thoughts drifted back to when she first got the call about Emma. Just thinking about it caused her stomach to drop. The idea of losing Emma, actually losing her for good, was a pain Regina never thought she would ever feel. All she wanted, all she had ever wanted, was for Emma to be happy. Maybe moving back would make her happy or maybe it would make things worse but there was only one way to find out. Her stomach filled with butterflies thinking about Emma coming home.

Regina kept her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Every time it vibrated her heart would jump only to be disappointed when she saw that it was just another work-related email. When the phone finally did ring, her heart sunk even more when she saw it was her assistant back home.

The woman on the other end of the line began reeling off several problems that the town was having, and several more reasons why Regina was needed back at work immediately. She rolled her eyes in frustration.

"I'll be arriving home this evening. I need you to make sure that the house is clean and that the fridge is stocked. For the next few days I'll be working from home so put whatever paperwork that needs looking over on my desk." Regina barked down the phone.

Work was the last thing on her mind right now. She wanted to stay at home and look after Emma. She wanted to spend time with her in their home, a home that Emma hadn't been in for 11 months. The phone once again buzzed in her hand, except this time it was the call she was waiting for.

"I'm on my way." She replied, hanging up the phone and grabbing hold of her suitcase.

Her stomach was in knots as she raced over to Emma's. Her driving was erratic at the best of times but now she was paying almost no attention to the road around her. She just needed to get them both back to Storybrooke.

Regina arrived outside Emma's apartment door to find her kicking a box across the threshold and struggling to hold up a bag. Regina stood with her arms crossed, frowning.

"Really Miss Swan, you couldn't have waited 15 minutes for to get here? You're going to cause yourself an injury...well, another injury." Regina said patronisingly.

"I'm not the damsel in distress type." Emma groaned as another jolt of pain shook her body.

"Of course not, but take my keys and go and get in the car before you collapse. I don't feel like going back to the hospital any time soon. Do you have all your medication?"

Emma nodded and reluctantly took the keys from Regina's hand. She double-checked that her own front door was locked and waited for the elevator doors to open. Regina followed, finding it significantly easier to shift Emma's belongings. The doors closed on the two of them and they were whizzed down to the ground floor.

"Are you ready to go?" Regina twisted her hands together anxiously.

"Yeah, let's go home." Emma put on a pair of Aviator sunglasses to protect her eyes from the bright sun.

Regina opened the trunk and put Emma's belongings alongside her own. As she closed the trunk door, she took a deep breath before walking to the driver's side. This was it, time to bring Emma home.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

43 minutes. That's how long it had taken them before they started bickering.

"You know we're not in a scene from Fast and Furious. You can take your foot off of the accelerator." Emma grumbled, watching the outside scenery whizz past her.

"Do you want to get home or not?" Regina retorted.

"I want to get home in one piece." She shot back.

Regina bit down on her tongue, not wanting to engage in what was sure to be a long drawn out battle of wits. She knew the two of them were perfectly matched in so many ways but being shut in a confined space was like pulling the pin on a grenade and not running for cover. A disaster waiting to happen. Just as she was beginning to calm herself, Emma's hand reached across towards the radio and turned the volume up, letting a screeching rock tune fill the car. It went on for a painful 2 more minutes before she could no longer stand it. Angrily, she jabbed her finger into the power button, sending the car in to a sudden silence. Emma crossed her arms and lifted her feet up onto the dashboard.

"Were you raised in a barn? Get your feet off of my dashboard this instant." Regina snarled.

"Where do you get off being so high and mighty? I didn't complain when you left muddy hiking boots in my car. I didn't complain when you dropped a cup of soup in my car. I didn't mind when you wanted to take off all your clothes, climb into the back seat and..."

"Enough." Regina yelped. She was not feeling up to a trip down memory lane.

Emma frowned angrily out of the window. She needed to get out of this car. She was tired, she was hungry and she was cranky. Without moving her body an inch, Emma glanced over at Regina. One hand was clutching the wheel tightly; the other was rubbing her temples. It looked like she needed a break too.

"Next town we pass through, we're stopping for something to eat." It wasn't so much a suggestion as it was an order.

Instead of arguing all Regina did was nod. She needed to get out of the car just as much as Emma did. They drove in angry silence for another 4 miles until they reached a place to stop. Regina parked the car outside of a rundown roadside diner and got out.

Neither of them really knew what to expect when they walked in the door. The place was fairly busy but every surface looked slightly sticky. A cheery teenager greeted them at the door and led them to a booth. Regina felt herself shudder as she examined the benches they were about to sit on.

"Well this place is...charming." Emma grimaced as she looked over at the peeling paint on the walls.

"We've eaten in worse." Regina sighed, holding the menu between her index finger and her thumb. "Still, this is probably the stickiest of them all."

When the waitress bounded happily over to them, Emma ordered coke and fries for the both of them. Regina had opened her mouth to protest but she realised she was unlikely to find Caesar Salad and spring water on the menu.

"So, how does it feel to be going back to Storybrooke?" Regina asked.

Emma shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "11 months is a long time."

"I hope you don't mind, I'll be working from home for the next few days so I can you know, be around to..." Regina struggled to find the right words to end her sentence.

"Yeah, thank you Regina, for everything." Emma replied sincerely.

Pink flushed across Regina's cheeks and she looked stared down at the table to avoid Emma's gaze. Much to her delight, the waitress came over with a tray of drinks, giving Regina a distraction. She took both the drinks and thanked the waitress who skipped off happily.

"So what are you making me for dinner tonight?" Emma's eyes lit up as a plate of fries was placed right in front of her.

"Really Emma? You haven't even finished this meal yet." She couldn't help but let out a small laugh as Emma covered her fries in ketchup.

Emma looked thoughtfully up at the ceiling. "Yeah but I could probably go for a nice steak, or maybe buttery lobster."

"Unbelievable." She chuckled under her breath.

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With the sky beginning to darken, Regina struggled to contain a yawn. She shook her head to try and wake herself up. They weren't far from home now but time felt like it was dragging and the road seemed endless, no matter how fast she drove. Emma wasn't exactly the greatest travelling companion either. Not long after leaving the diner, she had fallen asleep and was snoring quietly with her face pushed up against the window.

She stretched her arm out and put on a classical radio station, something soft and gentle to make sure that Emma stayed fast asleep. It wasn't doing anything to keep her awake but it was better than the dull silence.

A small groan from beside her tore her attention from the road for a brief second. Emma shuffled in the seat but her eyes didn't open. Seeing her there made Regina's heart beat faster. It was comforting to have her there in touching distance. She was finally somewhere where Regina could keep her safe. It was all she really needed.

Regina longed to reach out and touch Emma, just to make sure that she was in fact lying fast asleep in the front seat of her car. Her eyes went misty and she took a deep breath to steady herself. Despite the darkening sky, the roads began to look more and more familiar.

"Emma..." She said softly.

No response.

"Emma..." She tried again a little louder this time, trying hard not to get annoyed.

"Emma Swan!" She yelled as she slammed her foot on the brake, causing Emma's whole body to jolt forward.

Emma woke up suddenly feeling angry and in immense pain. "Regina what the hell was that all about?"

She swung her arm out and smacked Regina's leg. Regina narrowed her eyes and gestured out of the window. Emma's gaze followed in the direction Regina was pointing. Her eyes lit up and she felt butterflies fill up her stomach.

"Welcome to Storybrooke." Regina smiled.

Emma's eyes were sparkling with joy. The town looked just as enchanting as she had remembered it. They drove through the forest with Emma sitting bolt upright. If it hadn't been so cold, Regina was sure she'd be sticking her head out of the window like an excited puppy.

"It looks exactly the same." Emma leant forward in her seat and leaned on the dashboard just as the car turned in to Main Street.

The town was still buzzing with people wandering up and down the streets. Outside Granny's Diner, a small crowd was stood outside talking and laughing. It made Emma's heart drop. She sunk back down in her seat and slid herself lower and lower.

"What on earth are you doing?" Regina eyed Emma up and down.

"They don't need to know. Not yet. Let it just be us first." Emma muttered, her eyes looking pleadingly up at Regina.

Regina nodded. She understood where Emma was coming from. It would probably be best if it was just the two of them, at least for a little while. Regina carried on driving until she reached her house. With the car safely on the driveway, Emma sat back up. She squeezed Regina's hand and for the first time in months, she truly felt like she was home.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Regina lay awake, staring up at the ceiling. She could feel that her body was ready and willing for her to sleep but her mind would not quiet down. There was a part of her that wanted to stay awake just in case Emma needed anything in the night. Another part of her felt she had to stay awake just in case it had all been a dream. She took several deep breaths and reminded herself that Emma Swan was in fact right down the hall, probably in a deep sleep.

They'd had a light dinner as soon as they got home, but Regina could see Emma didn't have much of an appetite. She must've been exhausted and each movement seemed to bring a fresh amount of pain. They said their polite goodnights, and headed off in their own directions to get ready for bed. Emma slowly climbed the stairs and Regina stayed in the kitchen, not wanting to get in the way. It was strange feeling, hearing someone else walking around the house after so long of the complete silence.

Now, hours later, Regina still couldn't wrap her head around it. She laid thinking about Emma for what felt like hours. It was something she had spent many a night doing. Only this time, Emma was virtually within reach. She was so close but there was still just as much distance between. The same thoughts ran round and round in her head until finally she drifted into a heavy sleep.

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Painful bright light streamed in through the guest room windows. Emma scrunched her face up, fighting against the morning that was unfortunately inevitable. She rubbed her eyes and cursed under her breath. Lying back against the soft pillows, Emma realised that she had never actually spent a night in this room. And why would she, of course. It was the guest room after all, and this was the first time that she was a guest in this house.

She had to hand it to Regina, the woman had fantastic taste. Emma never realised that the room looked this good. The only complaint she had was the pathetically thin curtains that did nothing to block out light. She stretched her arms up to the ceiling, waking her body up slowly.

Over the course of the night, she had slept for maybe 3 hours. When she slept, her mind conjured up disturbing and frightening images and when she lay awake, every part of her body burned with pain. In the middle of the night she had wanted to get up and get a glass of water but it didn't feel right sneaking around the house, even though it had once been her house too.

Stepping over the threshold of the house had made her feel like things were changing. A strange tingle had coursed through her body but she was so tired she hadn't thought much about it. Now that she was wide awake though, she found herself struggling to think about anything else. This was their home, she thought to herself. The papers may have been in Regina's name but it was still theirs. It should've been their marital home. They should've raised a family here. It was easy to forget that when she had been far away in Boston, living in a brand new apartment and starting a brand new life. Her heart became incredibly heavy when she thought about Regina. Regina wanted all of those things too and she still had to live here.

Emma dragged herself out of bed and put on the cotton robe that Regina had left hanging over the desk chair. She snuggled into it, noticing that is smelt just like Regina. The floorboards creaked as she made her way out of the bedroom door and down the stairs. She followed the smell of fresh coffee into the kitchen. Just as she was about to enter the kitchen, she caught sight of something that made her heart glow.

Regina was stood by the stove dancing and singing along to a cheesy pop song on the radio. It was obvious that she was completely unaware of Emma's presence. She watched as Regina shuffled across the floor and turned the radio up. It was a struggle to hold in her laughter but Emma was enjoying watching Regina in this adorable candid moment. A sudden impulse overwhelmed Emma and she jumped into the kitchen, singing at the top of her voice. The noise made Regina jump out of her skin. She spun around in surprise, only to burst out laughing when she saw Emma joining in. They danced and sang together until the song ended and a radio presenter began talking about the weather.

They leant up against the counter; both of them flushed red and struggling to catch their breaths. Emma brushed her hand through her hair, getting it all out of her face. Emma felt Regina's cold fingertips touch her cheek as she pushed another strand of blonde hair away. It made Emma blush; turning her cheeks an even deeper shade of red. She had gone so long without Regina's touch. Standing so close to each other, the tension between them was thick.

"I, uh, I started making breakfast. Everything is ready to be cooked, just let me know what you want." Regina wandered over to the fridge, ready to pull out whatever Emma requested.

Emma's eyes lit up as her mind ran over everything that Regina had ever made her for breakfast.

A child-like grin spread across her face once she decided. "Pancakes!"

"You want pancakes?" Regina arched her eyebrow and chuckled.

Emma nodded enthusiastically. She hadn't had pancakes in a while and Regina's were just about the best she had ever tasted. Having made Emma pancakes many times in the past, Regina was well skilled in the recipe. It didn't take long until the smell of them warmed the kitchen. Emma sat impatiently waiting on the counter top. Never in her life had she met anyone who could cook as well as Regina could. Even when they were separated, she still found herself craving the fresh homemade food.

"Are they nearly done?" Emma asked eagerly.

Regina nodded, concentrating hard on not burning the pancakes. She expertly flipped them and piled them up high on a plate, looking ever so pleased with herself as she did so. Emma grabbed hold of the plate like she hadn't eaten in weeks. She cut a huge chunk of the pancakes and put it into her mouth. Her eyes rolled back in satisfaction. Regina was fairly certain that Emma was trying to say something but it just came out as mumbles.

"So, how did you sleep?" Regina asked before sipping at her coffee.

"Terribly. The bed was comfy though. What about you?" Emma replied grumpily.

"I was too worried about you, to sleep for long." Regina said quietly. "I've been up for a while now."

"You could've woken me, ya'know?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"Yes I could've, but you need your rest, you know that." She said sternly.

Emma reluctantly nodded and carried on eating her breakfast, only pausing to take large gulps of orange juice. Regina pottered around the kitchen, tidying things away, and taking sideways glances at Emma. She still longed to reach out and touch her but she didn't know how Emma would react. Never in her life had she felt so nervous.

"I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of calling Dr Hopper's office and booking you an appointment." Regina passed over a scrap of paper with a time scribbled on it. "I'll be in my office for most of the morning then I'll take you to your session."

Emma couldn't help but scrunch her face up at thought of going to her therapy session. She'd been to them before and each one was as awkward and uncomfortable as the last but she knew this time she needed to stick to it. Without her job, she was going to go crazy.

"It won't be that bad." Regina reassured her. "Besides, 6 weeks of sessions and you're free to go."

As soon as she said it, it felt like a lead weight had dropped into her stomach. The house would be quiet once again and this time would be even more painful than the first. Emma noticed how Regina had gone completely still and her head stayed bowed down. She stood up and walked over to Regina's side, carefully lifting her arm and putting it on Regina's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere just yet. I haven't even finished my pancakes." She said, trying to contain her laughter.

"Of course." Regina shook her head with a smile. "Now go eat your breakfast. I'll be in my office if you need me."

As Regina left the kitchen, she planted a kiss on the back of Emma's head. She hadn't planned too, it had happened almost instinctively. Having Emma in the house again was bringing back old habits. Habits that she wasn't sure she could get away with anymore. Worried that her kiss had been unwanted, Regina quickened her pace and left the kitchen. As she slammed her office door shut she leant up against it and pressed her cool hands to her burning cheeks.

In the kitchen, Emma sat on her stool with a large dopey grin plastered across her face. Her heart was skipping at a hundred miles a minute. She couldn't stop herself from fidgeting with giddiness. She thought back to what Regina had said.

"_You're free to go."_

Emma internally scolded herself for allowing these feelings to resurface. She had to be careful. They both did. Everything felt so exciting and new that it would be hard for them to keep their emotions under control. The added risk factor only served to make Emma get more worked up.

"Get over yourself, Swan." She muttered under her breath.

She began tidying up the kitchen and found that everything was exactly where it was before she left. She was pleased to find that she still knew her way around the kitchen. She might not be able to cook in there but she at least knew where the plates were kept.

With a smile on her face, she wandered out of the kitchen heading towards Regina's office. Her smile dropped slightly when she saw the shut door; a sight she had become used to seeing, a sight that had contributed to her leaving. Her hand reached out towards the doorknob, fingers linger above the metal.

"_I'm home!" Emma yelled out into the house._

_No reply. There was a light on upstairs and the lights were on in the kitchen so she knew Regina was home. She rolled her eyes and took of her jack, hanging it up on the coat stand by the door. It was the same routine that she went through every night. Even though she knew she wouldn't receive a welcome back, she still tried. Emma's footsteps echoed throughout the house as she headed to where she knew Regina would be._

"_Hey, Regina..." She said, opening up the office door._

_It was no surprise to her that Regina was tucked up behind her desk, the glow of the computer screen lighting up her face. She looked so serious; Emma could virtually see the weight on her shoulders. She walked behind the desk and rested her chin on Regina's head. _

"_How was your day?" Emma asked cheerily._

"_Fine." Regina snapped. "Busy."_

"_I thought maybe we could go out for dinner or something? I feel like I haven't seen you all week." _

"_Not tonight, Emma. I've got work to do" She grumbled._

"_Yeah, I shoulda known. You've always got work to do." Emma walked over to the leather couch and dropped herself down on the arm._

"_And what's that supposed to mean?" Regina narrowed her eyes._

"_You know exactly what it means Regina. Have you completely forgotten about me? Or am I just not on your list of priorities anymore?" Emma spat out angrily._

"_Don't be so ridiculous." She rolled her eyes, not wanting to engage in any arguments._

"_Yep. You're right. This is ridiculous." Emma laughed sourly. _

_She shook her head sadly in Regina's direction. She wasn't surprised to find that she was not even paying attention. With her hands clenched into fists and tears piercing in her eyes, she left the office closing the door with an almighty slam._

Emma decided that it was best to leave Regina on her own. She could hear her chattering away on the phone and she didn't want to get in the way. Instead she began to tiptoe around the house. A deep curiosity tugged inside of her and she was desperate to know what had changed and what had stayed the same.

As she started exploring each room, she couldn't shake the feeling that she should tread carefully. Really she was a guest in this house. It wasn't hers anymore. Around the house, small things that she found caused memories to come flooding back. There was a throw pillow on the couch that she had found at a craft fair and bought as a gift for Regina. On the mantel piece she found a photo frame containing a sunset photo that she had taken when they were on vacation.

The most painful memory though didn't come until she'd found her way into Regina's bedroom. There above the bed was a large canvas photo of two hands, both with sparkling engagement rings. It was their hands, taken just after their engagement. With a sickening sadness, Emma realised that every night and every morning Regina had to see this photo. It was a constant reminder for her.

"Oh Regina..." Emma whispered.

"It's tragic isn't it?" Regina said, appearing right behind Emma, and causing her heart to jump. "Regardless of what's happened, it's a beautiful picture. I couldn't find it in me to take it down."

"No, I don't think I would have either." She smiled.

The two women stood silently looking up at the picture. Out of the corner of her eye, Regina could see Emma pulling on the finger that once held her engagement ring. They moved closer together, not intentionally but their bodies were swaying towards each other.

"I still have that ring Emma, if you want it back." Regina admitted. Emma's eyes widened in shock. "Not like that dear, but just if you want it, let me know."

Emma stayed still, quietly thinking. Regina could see the look of concentration on her face. Her eyes were narrowed in on the picture on the wall and her brow was furrowed. Regina was beginning to wish she'd never said anything about it. She should've just stayed shut in her office.

"I never thought I'd see that ring again. I don't know if I want to see it again just yet. Thanks though. It means a lot that you kept it." Emma spoke sincerely.

"I guess I always hoped you'd come back for it." She smiled. "Look, I still have a mountain of paperwork to catch up on so feel free to roam around as you please. You know where I am if you need me."

She left the room in a hurry, leaving Emma still staring at the picture above the bed. Back in the safety of her office, she tried to distract herself with the work she had in front of her but her mind continued to wander. As she sat working away, and hearing Emma's footsteps around the house, she knew that she doing the exact same thing that caused Emma to leave in the first place. She was using work to avoid anything that made her to feel too much. Working in her office was like being in a safe haven. She had something to concentrate on. It was working too, until she heard the sounds of Emma's slightly out of tune singing coming from the living room.

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"Emma you need to eat something before you go." Regina pleaded, pushing the plate towards her.

"No I don't, I'm alright. C'mon let's just go and get it over with." Emma said stubbornly.

Emma stood up and kicked the stool back under the table. She rushed around the kitchen, picking up her phone and her jacket from the counter top.

"Emma Swan you sit back down right now." Regina ordered.

It made Emma stop in her tracks. She could feel herself ready to snap back, the snide retort was right on the tip of her tongue. She took a steadying breath and held it back. Reluctantly she sat back down and took a bite out of the sandwich that Regina had made for her.

"I've eaten something. Are you happy now?"

"More than you could know." She smiled with satisfaction.

Emma forced down the meal with as much speed as she could manage. The anticipation of her up and coming therapy session had made her appetite disappear. She waited for Regina's nod of approval before dumping her plate in the sink and stormed out of the house.

"It's like living with a 10 year old." Regina muttered in annoyance.

She followed Emma out to the car and found her leaning against the vehicle with a disgruntled look on her face and her arms crossed on her chest. As they drove into town, Regina could sense Emma's nervousness.

"It'll be fine, you know. I'm sure Doctor Hopper will go easy on you to start with." Regina said, trying to reassure Emma.

"Only to start with? Well that's comforting." Emma replied sarcastically.

Regina pulled the car up to a stop outside of Archie's office and together they walked into the building. They both took a seat on a set of chairs in the waiting room. Emma was radiating nerves. Despite the calm and collected face she was showing, the rest of her body was starting to give her away. Her legs bounced up and down and she couldn't stop fiddling with the zipper on her jacket. Without thinking, Emma shot her hand out and grabbed on to Regina's. Regina could feel how clammy her palms were. She took her own hand and placed it softly on top of Emma's.

She leant over and whispered in Emma's ear. "You're going to be okay."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I have no excuses as to why this took so long to post. Forgive me.  
Let me know what you think!  
Bx**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

Regina could feel Emma's pulse racing through her hand. For someone who was usually so well composed, Emma was looking incredibly nervous. It surprised her. Emma's hands were hot and sticky. It was making her slightly uncomfortable but she held on tight. She was determined to make things up to Emma.

"Miss Swan, would you like to come on through?" Archie said cheerily, sticking his head round the door frame.

Emma jumped up out of her seat with such force that she nearly pulled Regina up with her. She glanced down at Regina for reassurance and was greeted with a small smile and a nod. Hesitantly, she followed Archie.

As Emma stepped into the room, she was slightly pleased to see that it hadn't changed in the slightest. She was also extremely disappointed to find that Pongo was curled up on the floor somewhere. The room even smelled the same. It was a warm, comforting scent similar to the scent of old books and warm blankets. She wasn't sure whether it was a therapist's tactic or not but it calmed her nerves down. She had almost forgotten why she was there until she sat down on the couch.

"It's wonderful to see you again Emma, how have you been?" Archie said cheerfully.

"Battered and bruised. I'll be fine." She replied.

"Yeah that's quite an ordeal you went through?"

Emma shrugged it off. "I guess it comes with the job, y'know."

"And how are things going with the job?"

"It's a lot more fast-paced than things were here in Storybrooke." Emma chuckled.

"I imagine the hours are a lot longer too?"

"It's longer hours but it's more money."

"And is that better?"

She shook her head. "More money, more problems."

Emma leant back in her seat. The silence between the two of them was compelling her to say something. She could feel Archie's gaze on her, observing every little move.

"If you remember; the last time we met here, it was under very different circumstances."

Emma fought the urge to roll her eyes. She remembered it very clearly. She remembered it so well in fact that it almost made her dizzy.

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_The two women sat on opposite sides of the couch, their bodies turned away from each other. The atmosphere between them was frosty. Archie sat opposite them, taking quick mental notes on their body language. When Regina had first asked him about couple's therapy, he was surprised. They had always seemed such a happy couple. Now though, he was surprised that he hadn't seen the problem sooner._

"_So," Archie began, breaking the silence. "How are you both doing?"_

"_Ask Regina." Emma sneered. "She seems to make all the decisions these days."_

"_Oh please don't be ridiculous." Regina scoffed._

"_You're ridiculous." Emma snapped back._

"_Very mature Emma." She rolled her eyes._

_Archie sat back quietly. He was completely taken aback at how bad things had gotten. They put on such a show whenever they were out in public. It made him wonder how bad things were when they were in private._

_Throughout the entire session they bickered and bitched at each other. Each time one made a statement that the other disagreed with, they turned vicious on each other. Archie found himself writing quicker and quicker, taking notes he would struggle to read later. By the end of the session, he felt exhausted. A lot of work lay ahead of them._

_Emma had gone home that evening with her head feeling incredibly scrambled. As usual, Regina had locked herself in her office so she was alone again. In her frustration, she kicked the office door and stormed out of the house._

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"Emma, it's been 10 minutes and you still haven't answered my question." Archie stated.

He was finding it a struggle to get much of a reaction out of Emma. He had enough experience in his field to know that she had come into this with her walls completely up. It was possible that it was because she was forced to be there but something made him think it was more than that. She had a completely blank expression on her face, her gaze focused on a scuff mark on the floor.

"What was the question again?" She asked, puzzled.

Archie tried hard not to sigh. "I merely asked how it felt to be back in Storybrooke?"

"Oh yeah, sorry." Emma laughed nervously and shook her head. "It's like, you know when you go into a room and there's this weird feeling? Like something feels wrong and you don't know what it is. Something just feels out of place."

"What do you think it is that is out of place?" Archie questioned, scribbling things down in his notepad.

Emma shrugged and scrunched up her nose. "Me, I guess."

"And why do you think that?" He gently asked.

She mentally cursed herself for walking straight into that question. In truth she had no idea why she was feeling this way. It certainly wasn't something that she wanted to feel. Especially since Regina was trying so hard to make her feel at home. _Regina_.

"We both know why, Archie. Do I really need to say it?"

"I think that it's important that you do." Archie pushed gently.

"Because last time I was here I lived in a beautiful house, I had a job, I had friends and I had..." Emma took a steadying breath. "I had a fiancé. I had Regina."

"And how has life been without Mayor Mills? Have you started seeing anyone else?" Archie asked, knowing that he was maybe pushing his luck.

Emma chuckled bitterly. "You know Regina as well as I do. No one can move on from that."

"So seeing her again, how has that made you feel?"

"Archie, I only came here because I thought we were going to talk about the accident." Emma replied stubbornly. "Not Regina."

"That's basically true. But we also need to talk about how you are and considering how much your situation has changed over the past week, I think it's important."

"When my partner told me Regina was on her way to Boston, it felt like I'd been in a propane explosion all over again." Emma rolled her eyes. "And she was there in front of me. I tried so hard to push her away and push those feelings away. I wanted her gone."

Archie sat back in his chair and studied Emma's expression. His eyes never moved from her face. The intensity of the silence made Emma nervous. She began fidgeting, twisting her thumb ring and biting down on her lip.

"I still love Regina. I'm always going to have a love for her. Seeing her is hard, living with her is even harder." Emma exhaled deeply.

"And was it your choice to stay with her? I mean, I'm sure there are people who could've looked after you in Boston."

"There are. But then Regina showed up and as painful as it was, I didn't want her to leave. And, you know, she travelled all that way to make sure I was okay."

"So you're staying with her out of guilt?" Archie raised an eyebrow.

Emma narrowed her eyes and leant forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"What do you want me to tell you Archie? What do I have to say for you to let me go? So that you can sign whatever piece of paper is necessary and I can leave." Emma snapped, starting to feel defensive.

"I don't _want _you to tell me anything, Emma. This is just about seeing how you are. I know you don't want to be here, but if you don't do this then I can't allow you to go back to work." Archie said, his tone of voice suddenly taking a serious turn.

"Yeah, I get it." Emma nodded grumpily.

"You've done great Emma. I know this is hard but it'll get easier." Archie reassured her.

"It's been great seeing you again Archie, really it had, but can I go now? An hour is just about as much emotion as I can handle."

"Of course, I'll see you same time next week." Archie smiled brightly.

He stood up and led Emma towards the door. As the door opened, Emma thanked the doctors and, with baited breath, looked into the waiting room for Regina. Much to her delight, the Mayor was still sitting right where she had left her. She had a file full of papers open on her lap, and her glasses perched on the end of her nose.

Upon hearing the door creak open and then slam close Regina quickly lifted her head up, causing the stack of paper to slide from her lap and scatter across the floor. Emma wasted no time in jumping in to help but as she crouched down to the floor, she felt her rib cage almost crunch together. Without thinking, she grabbed hold of Regina's arm as tears prickled in the corners of her eyes.

Regina wrapped a protective arm around Emma's shoulders and carefully helped her to stand up. She held on to Emma's hand as she tried to steady herself. She could hear the sharp raggedy breaths that Emma was taking, despite the brave face she was trying so desperately hard to put on.

"Are you okay?" Regina asked softly.

Emma's face was scrunched up as she concentrated on fighting through the pain but she nodded anyway. Regina lifted her own hand and brushed Emma's hair away from her eyes, tucking it behind her ear.

"Moved way too fast." Emma hissed through her teeth.

"Just take it easy, come and sit down." Regina helped edge Emma backwards towards one of the chairs.

Emma leant her head against the wall keeping her hand pressed against her rib cage. She sat very still for a few minutes and waited for the pain to subside. The whole time, Regina kept her arm around Emma's shoulders, the worried look never leaving her face. Slowly, Emma's breathing began to return to a normal pace and she finally felt like she could move again.

"I don't know what was more painful; that or the therapy." Emma chuckled.

"Are you okay to get up or do you need to stay sitting for a while?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded and began to push herself up from the chair. As she did so, Regina held her breath just waiting for Emma to come crashing back down again. Thankfully though she remained standing but her nose crinkled as she waited for the pain to start up again.

"Nope I'm good to go." She smiled.

Regina watched in amazement as the woman who had just been crippled by pain, marched confidently towards the door of the office as if nothing had happened. Regina stepped quickly across the office, following Emma out towards the car. She noticed that Emma was still keeping her head low, trying to keep anyone from seeing her. She unlocked the car and before she could even get to her door, Emma was inside with her seatbelt on.

"Not that I mind keeping you all to myself, but how long do you plan on hiding for?" Regina questioned as she started up the car.

"I'm not hiding." She grumbled as she lowered herself in her seat.

"Oh I see." Regina raised her brow. "So you're just what? Inspecting the floor of my car?"

Emma leaned across the seats and flicked Regina on the leg. Regina chose to ignore the assault and merely shook her head as she carried on driving them home. Once they were inside the house, Emma sat down at the kitchen counter as Regina made them both coffees. Emma ran her finger around the rim of the mug as she watched the steam rising up from it.

"Hey, thanks for waiting for me earlier." Emma smiled.

"Well I wasn't going to let you walk home."

"Yeah but you could've left and came back for me." She suggested.

Regina took a small sip of her coffee. She had thought about going to her office for an hour while she waited for Emma but she knew how tough Emma was going to find the whole thing. Honestly she was shocked that Emma had actually stayed through the entire of the session. She was certain that her temper would've gotten the better of her.

"So, how did it go?" Regina asked tentatively. She didn't know how much she could ask or even how much she wanted to know.

"I couldn't stop thinking about the last time we were there." Emma dipped her index finger into the coffee cup, checking the temperature. "You remember it?"

Regina chuckled and nodded slowly. "It wasn't one of our finest moments, was it?"

"It's been worse." Emma raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Archie seemed to remember that too. He kept asking about you. Well...asking about us."

That was exactly what Regina didn't want to hear. Although she should have expected it, it still made her stomach drop. She could sense that Emma was looking at her and waiting for her to reply but she didn't quite know what to say.

"It's good to have you here, Emma." Regina said quietly.

Emma didn't say anything, she simply bowed her head and smiled to herself. _It's good to be here _she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: The M rated chapter you've all be waiting for! I promise I'm working as hard as I can to get this story finished for you!  
Bex**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

Emma watched with growing frustration as the hands of the clock ticked round and round, showing the hour to be much later than she wanted it to be. 1:43am and she still hadn't had any sleep. Her body felt tired, she was struggling to keep her eyelids open, but her mind was racing. It felt completely surreal to be back in her old house. A place she had lived and loved for so long. She slowly sat herself up and switched on the small lamp that sat on the bedside table. She winced slightly as the bright light filled the room, replacing the darkness that she had gotten used to. Emma grabbed her sweater from the floor and pulled it over her head, fighting against the pain in her ribs. Carefully, she tiptoed towards the door and opened it up, trying her best not to make any noise.

The tranquil darkness was a stark contrast to her room. It made her stomach flip, like she was 8 years old and still scared of the dark. She wrapped her arms around her stomach and began creeping through the house and down to the kitchen. The tiles on the floor were cold, forcing her to go up onto her tiptoes. Her body gave an involuntary shiver as she turned on the tap and filled up a glass with water. She drained the glass with 3 gulps, before abandoning it in the sink.

On her way back up the stairs, her attention was drawn to the snuffling sound she heard coming from Regina's room. Quiet as mouse, she crept towards the bedroom, being careful to avoid any floorboards she knew were creaky. The door to the room was left a jar so it didn't take much for her to stick her head round.

All she could make out was Regina's silhouette curled up on one side of the bed. She could see the gentle rise and fall of her former lover's curves. It made Emma's heart flutter. She pushed open the door and cautiously stepped towards the edge of the bed. The only things she could hear was Regina's soft breathing and her own heart pounding in her ears. Her fingers grazed the bed spread, running over every stitch. She stepped backwards, preparing herself to leave when she hit a creaky floorboard. The noise made her flinch. She bit down on her lip and held her breath.

Regina yawned and turned her head to the side. "Emma?" She muttered sleepily.

"Yeah, it's just me. Sorry I'm going. Go back to sleep." Emma whispered loudly.

"Don't be ridiculous." Regina replied for her slumber. "Get under the covers."

Emma hesitated by the door. More than anything she wanted to get into the bed and cuddle. She wanted to feel the warmth radiating from Regina's body. She wanted to wrap her arms around the sleeping Mayor and hold onto her tightly. Something about it though felt strange, almost like she would be taking advantage.

"Miss Swan. Now." Regina ordered her eyes remaining tightly shut.

With as much energy as she could muster this early in the morning, Emma jumped up into the bed. It already felt warm from where Regina had been sleeping in it. She positioned herself as close to the edge of the bed as she could and tried to make herself comfortable. Carefully she turned her head to take a quick look at a sleepy Regina. She couldn't bring herself to move her body any closer but she stretched her hand out and felt the dip in the bed caused by Regina's body.

Regina lay still, waiting for the feel of Emma's arm to be around her but the longer she waited the less likely it became that it was going to happen. She was going to have to take control. With a deep sigh, she shifted her body backwards towards Emma, which took Emma completely by surprise. Suddenly Emma found herself completely pressed up against Regina's back. While she was laying there panicking, Regina seemed utterly at ease with the whole thing.

"Uh, Regina..." Emma whispered into the darkness.

A vague grumble came as a reply. Emma carefully lifted her arm and rested it on Regina's waist, with all the intimacy of someone touching rotten meat. Thankfully, the darkness hid the exaggerated eye roll coming from Regina. She took hold of Emma's hand and pulled it tighter around her. Emma felt the warmth of Regina's stomach radiating through her hand. Soon the soft sounds of Regina's deep breaths were all Emma could hear. It was strangely comforting. She began to get her own breathing in sync with Regina's.

Emma leant forward and pressed her lips into the base of Regina's neck. "Goodnight, Regina."

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An irritating beeping sound roused Emma from her deep sleep. She pressed her hand to her forehead and tried to force her eyes open. It took her a few seconds to realise what the sound actually was. Regina's work alarm that she had once become so accustomed to hearing. It had taken her a couple of months but she had finally trained herself to sleep right through it.

"Fuck." She grumbled in a low voice.

"Really Emma, is that sort of language necessary so early in the morning?" Regina tutted.

She lifted her hand up from under the pillow and switched off the alarm before snuggling herself back down into the bed. Getting herself comfortable, she turned to face Emma. Her eyes were closed again, her forehead scrunched up in irritation. It was a beautiful sight, she thought to herself with a smile. Regina stretched her arms up towards the ceiling and pulled back the bed covers. She saw Emma shudder as the sudden rush of air hit her bare legs.

"Why are you getting up so early?" Emma complained as she stuck her head face down into the pillow.

"Because my dear, some of us have jobs and the world keeps spinning."

"Yeah and some of us almost got blown up and need rest and constant attention."

Regina rolled her eyes and left the room. As she began getting ready for the day, she thought about Emma, lying sleepily in her bedroom. This was better than anything she could have ever imagined. She wanted Emma back now more than ever. It felt unreal to have her so close again, to have spent the night with their skin touching in the most innocent way possible. Regina was sure she could still feel the sparks on her skin. She didn't leave the bathroom until her hair and make-up was looking prim and perfect.

Upon entering her bedroom, Regina was surprised to find that the bed was empty. The cover was piled up in the middle of the bed, where Emma had presumable kicked it off of her. Regina lifted up the covers and shook them out to make the bed. As she began plumping up the pillows, she rested her hand in the indent Emma's head had made. It still felt warm; she couldn't have been gone long. Regina lifted the pillow up to her face and inhaled the gentle scent.

"Uh...are you sniffing my pillow? That's creepy even for you." Emma

Regina spun around to see Emma leaning cockily against the door frame. She narrowed her eyes and launched the pillow in Emma's direction. The pillow flew through the air and smacked Emma square in the face. As it fell to the floor, it revealed Emma's shocked face. Her eyebrows were as far up her forehead as they could possibly go.

"Oh it's on." Emma growled. She took a deep breath and dived forward at Regina.

Before Regina could even blink, she was being tackled to the bed. For someone with broken ribs, she was still ridiculously strong. Emma pinned Regina to the bed. She had her knees pressed into the sides of Regina's waist and a tight grip on her wrists.

"Emma have you forgotten that you are injured?" Regina raised an eyebrow and nodded her head towards Emma's ribcage.

"I haven't forgotten. Mind over matter." Emma shrugged as she leant closer towards Regina.

"How zen of you, Miss Swan." Regina smirked.

Regina looked up into Emma's eyes. She couldn't stop herself from puckering her lips. She wanted Emma to kiss her. Emma could feel her heart go into frenzy. She couldn't decide if pinning Regina was the best or worst thing she could've done. Emma lowered herself down towards Regina. Her lips were parted, almost as if she was going to say something. The corners of Regina's mouth curled upwards in anticipation.

Emma closed her eyes and lowered herself down, kissing Regina back only more forcefully. Regina could feel the electricity coursing through her body as her head it back onto the bed. When they pulled apart from breath, Regina shook her head. Her cheeks were flushed red. Emma could feel energy powering through her body. She lifted her hands up and held on to Regina's jaw line, covering her face a small soft kisses. Regina couldn't stop herself from lifting her face up towards the kisses, getting closer and closer to Emma.

"Is this a good idea, Regina?"

"Probably not." Regina shrugged. She wiggled herself out of Emma's clutches, holding herself up on her elbows and kissed Emma softly.

Emma knelt on the bed, one knee either side of Regina's waist. With mild trepidation, she pulled her sweater over her head and tossed it onto the floor. It landed with a quiet thud, a noise that Emma seemed to feel in her chest. She felt more exposed than she had expected too. It wasn't like this was the first time Regina had ever seen her in her underwear, but this time was different. She was almost too nervous to look at Regina.

Regina on the other hand couldn't take her eyes off of Emma. If it was possible, she looked more beautiful than the last time she had seen her like this. Her body was more sculpted, each curve catching the morning light. Regina opened her mouth to say something, but her breath caught uncomfortably in her throat. She wrapped her fingers around Emma's forearms and pulled her slowly downwards. Emma's skin felt warm, despite the fact that it was covered in goose bumps.

It started with a soft kiss. That's all it was. One kiss from Emma on to Regina's cheek and it sent them both into frenzy. Emma always was one to work quickly, Regina remembered, as her shirt was practically torn away from her body. Her skin tingled as Emma began trailing kisses from her throat, working her lips down Regina's body until her lips reached the waistband of Regina's skirt. She looked up into Regina's eyes, looking for confirmation. Regina nodded and slowly Emma began to pull at material, forcing it down from Regina's legs.

Emma's eyes gleamed at the sight before her. She'd almost forgotten how beautiful Regina was – from every angle. She could almost feel the heat radiating from between Regina's legs. Emma took a deep breath and bit her lip. She had to try and calm herself down, her mind was racing with a million thoughts shooting through it. She couldn't believe that this was about to happen.

She dropped herself to the floor and planted her knees firmly into the plush carpet, giving herself some form of stability. Her whole body was fraught with nerves as she stretched an arm up, forcing Regina to lie flat on her back. Regina craned her neck slightly so she could still see the top of Emma's head. The mess of blonde hair was more beautiful than she remembered it to be. She could feel the warmth of Emma's breath radiating across her skin. It sent shivers through her body. This waiting was driving her insane. She pushed herself up again.

"Emma?" She said almost desperately.

Emma swallowed hard and nodded, knowing exactly what Regina mean. _Get on with it_. Regina dropped her body back down and Emma lowered her head. She snaked her arms underneath Regina's thighs and dragged her closer. Regina felt a trail of soft kisses being placed just above her knee, moving their way further and further up towards her crotch. Emma felt Regina's body tense in anticipation. Once she had reached the top of her legs, she hooked her fingers under the band of Regina's underwear and pulled them down. Regina lifted and twisted her legs to help Emma ease them off. The cold air caught against her hot sex, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Emma was surprised to find herself feeling incredibly intimidated. She could see how wet Regina was; she was glistening and it was oh so tempting.

Emma puckered her lips and began to kiss the skin at the top of Regina's thigh, kissing until she reached the sensitive folds between her legs. The closer she got to the near-throbbing mound before her, the more intense her kisses got. The tip of her tongue began poking out from between her lips, searching for a flavour that she hadn't tasted in so long. She began using her tongue to trace circles around Regina's clitoris, each time getting closer and closer but never touching it.

It took every ounce of Regina's self control to stop bucking her hips in Emma's direction. Her mind began to wander to the last time they were in this position. It felt like a lifetime ago. Hell, it was a lifetime ago. Just as she began to lament on their past life, she felt Emma's tongue slip quickly inside of her. It took her completely by surprise, and she couldn't stop herself letting out a small yelp. The noise made Emma giggle. She wanted Regina to stay home from work so they could do this all day. Kissing and fucking until they were absolutely exhausted. And then they could wake up and do it all over again.

Seeing Regina's body writing with pleasure was more of a turn on than she ever remembered it to be. She began dragging her tongue out and upwards, back towards Regina's clitoris stopping only to suck on it lightly. Emma could sense Regina was close to cumming. She was a pro at recognising the signs. As Regina started gripping onto the bed sheets, Emma bit her lip and began to push a finger slowly inside her. She heard Regina gasp and then moan something inaudible. When she added another finger, Regina's back arched upwards. She began thrusting her fingers harder and faster into Regina, making a satisfying squelching sound each time her fingers re-entered. Emma brought her mouth back to Regina's clitoris and began to delicately stroke it with the tip of her tongue.

Regina felt like she was on fire, every nerve ending in her body was blazing red hot. She so desperately wanted to pull Emma up and on top of her but she didn't want this feeling to end. She never wanted this feeling to end. Her perfect white teeth clamped down hard on her bottom lip. She was unaware that Emma had seen her do this. It was the final sign that she was close to the edge. Her mouth and her fingers moved harder and faster until she felt Regina's body tense up for a moment and then fall back down, going completely limp. The delicious taste of Regina's cum filled her mouth and, life a good girl, she cleaned up the mess she had made.

As much as she tried to calm herself, Regina couldn't stop from panting deeply. Emma had worked her out like she hadn't expected. She watched Emma rise from the floor, wiping the back of her hand across her face.

"Oh that's delightful!" Regina playfully raised an eyebrow.

"You weren't complaining about my unladylike behaviour 5 minutes ago." Emma teased, flopping herself on to the bed next to Regina.

Their fingertips were touching, that little spark running through them again. Without thinking, Regina began to lace her fingers with Emma's and held on. Like old times, Regina thought to herself. In her comfort and satisfaction, she had completely forgotten that she was supposed to be heading to a meeting at the office. Her head rolled sideways, looking for the clock on the bedside table.

"Shit!" She yelped, throwing herself up and off of the bed.

Thus began a mad scramble to find her underwear, her skirt and her shoes, all before trying to smooth out the back of her hair and reapply her make-up. Emma sat upright on the bed watching in amusement as Regina ran around like a headless chicken. Though she wouldn't dare say it to Regina, she was proud of herself for getting the woman so flustered.

"Miss Swan," She said sternly, snapping Emma out of her daze. "Where the fuck did you hide my underwear?!"

Emma shrugged nonchalantly. "I dunno, I threw them over my shoulder. Just go commando."

Emma stood up and pulled Regina's half naked body close to hers, their hips pressing into each other.

"This isn't funny, I don't have time for your games." Regina's eyes narrowed. It was intended to strike fear but Emma had long since grown immune.

"It's not a game." Emma whispered, pressing her lips to Regina's neck. "It'll be hot."

Before she could let herself get carried away, she tore away from Emma. As much as she wanted to stay, she still had a town to run. She stood there looking helplessly around the room, trying to find the missing clothing. Emma crouched down in front of her, her forehead almost brushing against her still naked crotch. Just as she was about to protest, Emma stood back up again with a lacy black thong dangling from her fingertips. Regina gratefully grabbed them and put them on, before spying her skirt next to the doorway and putting that on too

"I, uh, need to go to work Emma." Regina stammered, sitting herself up. "I'll call you later."

Before she left the room, Regina placed one last kiss on Emma's cheek. Her heart was pounding at a thousand miles a minute. She had to get out of the house as fast as possible. Once again she was reminded that was only a temporary thing. In that moment it felt like somebody dropped a lead brick into her stomach. And she was terrified.

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With Regina gone, the house was boringly quiet. Emma found herself wandering aimlessly from room to room without any real purpose. She needed something to take her mind off of Regina. Her mind and her body felt restless. She grabbed her jacket from the coat hook and shrugged her arms into it.

Storybrooke was still relatively quiet at this time of day as everyone was already at work. It felt strange to be walking down the familiar streets of Storybrooke. Even after all her time away, the place still felt exactly the same. Nothing had changed. It was still the same peaceful little town. It didn't take her long until the comforting sight of Granny's Diner was right in front of her. A smile spread across her face as she saw people moving around inside. With a little spring in her step, she crossed the road and headed to the door. The door of the diner opened with a ring of the bell. The noise brought a small smile to Emma's face as she remembered the countless hours that she had spent there.

"Hey, can I get a hot chocolate with cinnamon?" Emma called out from the doorway.

She watched with anticipation as Ruby looked up from the till and saw just who was standing at the door. Emma couldn't help but laugh as she saw the flash of excitement in the young woman's eyes.

"Emma!" She exclaimed, pouncing over to her like an excited puppy. She slammed her body into Emma's, embracing her into a full body hug.

Emma winced as she felt her body fight against the pain that hug was causing her. Her unease must've been evident because Ruby pulled away quickly, throwing her hands up to cover her mouth.

"Oh God, Emma are you okay? Did I hurt you? She asked, eyeing Emma cautiously. "I got too excited, sorry."

"No I'm fine Rubes. Just a little banged up is all." Emma replied, subconsciously rubbing her ribcage.

Ruby led Emma to a booth at the back of the diner. Emma could feel the smile coming back as she slid into the leather seat. Just like old times, she thought to herself. She sat back and contentedly watched the residents of Storybrooke talking, eating and laughing. She hadn't felt this comfortable in a public place in a long time, though it hadn't escaped her noticed that everyone was taking sly glances at her, not really believing that she was back. It wasn't long before Ruby returned with two mugs of hot chocolate. She passed one to Emma and sat down with one for herself.

"Okay, I've got 15 minutes. Tell me everything!" She squealed excitedly.

Slowly Emma began to fill Ruby in on all of the things that had gone on. She told her all about her new job, her apartment, about Graham and finally finishing up with the explosion at the warehouse.

"So anyway, Regina came to check on me and now I'm staying with her until I've recovered." Emma said quickly, barely giving Ruby a chance to process it.

"You're back with Regina?! Oh my God this is so exciting! Is the wedding back on? Can I still be a bridesmaid?!" Ruby almost screeched.

"No Ruby, we're not...I don't think that...I'm just staying there. That's all." Emma stammered.

"She's miss you, ya'know? Every time she comes in she looks all miserable." Ruby said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah." Emma replied quietly. "I've missed her too. I was such an idiot."

"You're an idiot for leaving without saying goodbye!" Ruby grumbled, trying to lighten the mood.

"Well, I'm here now." Emma smiled peacefully.


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N: Hey! I'm so sorry about the delay on this chapter! I had most of it written but then I had problems with my laptop and lost it all. I couldn't quite remember what I had written so I hope this is okay. Also, would you prefer this story to continue on being more fluffy or more angsty? Let me know!**_

_**Bx**_

**Chapter Nine**

As Emma stretched out her muscles, she once again said a silent thank you to the miracles of modern medicine. Finally her body was starting to feel normal again, not leaving her in searing pain at every tiny movement. She tightened the ponytail that sat at the crown of her head and opened up the front door. The cold chill of the morning air hit her lungs with a sting but she breathed it in, relishing the clean air of the small town. She shut the front door behind her as gently as possible, so as not to wake Regina.

Cautiously she took a few long strides down the pathway and down the street, heading away from the town centre. As the confidence in herself began to build, her strides became longer and faster. Before she knew it, she was running with ease. The air felt so cool against her skin. Once she had reached the town limits she began to slow down, taking her brisk run down to a slow stroll. Emma shook out her arms and sat herself down on a fallen tree trunk. The damp from the bark began to seep through her pants but she stayed where she was.

Out here, at the very edge of the town, she felt very alone. In Boston she was always alone, except of course when she was working and even then she kept to herself. Here though, she seemed constantly surrounded by people. She understood their curiosity and answered all their questions but it was incredibly tiresome; always the same questions and always the same answers. _Yeah it hurts to get shot. No I haven't killed anyone. Yeah it is strange being back. No it's not permanent. Yes I'm staying at Regina's._

Storybrooke was buzzing with gossip surrounding the return of Emma Swan. Most of the time it was all anyone could talk about. Emma was sure she had Ruby to thank for that. The two of them couldn't go anywhere without someone turning and staring. Several times they'd had to stammer their way through an explanation of their current relationship status.

At home though things were easier and they found themselves falling into a comfortable routine. Every night they'd have dinner together and spend the evenings on the couch. Then at the end of the night they'd go off into their own bedrooms, a task that was becoming increasingly more difficult. Each time they parted at the top of the stairs, Emma had to resist the urge to follow Regina into the bed that they once shared. She knew Regina wouldn't mind, in fact she'd probably be grateful, but she didn't want leaving to be any harder than it was going to be; and so they continued on, living each day as if nothing had changed between them.

Emma shivered as a gust of wind blew around her. She zipped up her jacket and began jogging home. Taking her time and enjoy the peacefulness of the town. She would've taken longer but her stomach grumbled and she picked up the pace, making it home it 10 minutes flat. As she walked into the mansion, which was delightfully warm, she could hear Regina pacing around the kitchen.

"Is everything okay?" Emma questioned, narrowing her eyes at Regina.

"Emma, where the hell have you been?! I've been going crazy! I wake up and you're gone? I thought you'd..." Regina paused.

"Thought I'd what? Walked out?" Emma said shortly, she could feel anger rising inside of her.

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Well it wouldn't be beyond the realms of possibilities."

"Unbelievable, Regina, fucking unbelievable." She snapped before storming out of the room.

Instantly Regina felt horrible for what she had said, she chased Emma out of the kitchen and followed her into the living room. Emma was flopped down on the couch, scowling at the ceiling. She heard Regina enter the room but she refused to turn and look at her. She wouldn't give her the satisfaction. Cold fingers rested on her forearm as Regina crouched down beside her.

"Emma, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it at all." Regina pleaded. "It's just...I was worried and it slipped out."

Emma sat up and turned her body in Regina's direction. She looked down at Regina kneeling before her. The guilt was evident in her eyes, they were glistening. It almost made Emma laugh but she held it in. Regina looked like a little lost puppy.

"I can't stay here if you're gunna hold that against me every time I leave the house. It's not fair."

"I know it's not, I'm sorry. I truly am. Can you forgive me?" Regina couldn't help but pout, hoping to get herself back in Emma's favour.

Every time they fought Regina would bring out the pout. It drove Emma crazy because she could never stay mad at her. Once again, the puppy dog face worked its magic and Emma rolled her eyes. She leant forward and kissed Regina, nibbling at the bottom lip that was still poking out. Regina pressed her hands on to Emma's thighs, her fingers dug in to the soft material of her running pants. The tips of their noses were still touching when Emma pulled away.

"Forgiven," Emma whispered. "But you've just used your get out of jail free card. And there's only one in the pack."

Regina grinned and leant forward, getting herself closer to Emma. She held out her left pinky finger and pointed it towards Emma. When she failed to get the appropriate response, she took hold of Emma's hands and held onto the pinky finger. She hooked them together and kissed them.

"I promise I won't do it again."

Emma laughed and lifted her legs up, wrapping them around Regina; holding her tight and pulling her in. Happily Regina complied, allowing herself to be dragged forwards. She could feel Emma's smile as she kissed her repeatedly. Regina could feel the butterflies start to build in her stomach. It was like re-living the beginning of their relationship, except it was better. There was no awkwardness; they already knew each other inside and out.

"Do you have to go to the office today?" Emma frowned, placing a kiss on Regina's forehead.

Regina nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. But I won't be gone long and I'll be home to make dinner."

Seeing Emma's eyes light up made her laugh. The way to Emma Swan's heart was always through her stomach. She put her hands on Emma's knees and pushed herself up from the floor. She leaned in for one last kiss and left the room to finish getting ready for work.

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"I can't get used to it, y'know? Time moves slower here. When I worked in the sheriff's office here, I had no idea what I was missing out on." Emma said wistfully.

Archie looked at her thoughtfully. "Did you always feel like that?"

"Like I was missing out on something?" Emma reiterated. "Not really. I had everything I thought I wanted here. I didn't need an insane work life. Or at least I didn't think I did. I was happy here."

Archie didn't reply, he just kept his gaze on Emma. It was intense and uncomfortable. Emma knew why he was doing it though. He wanted to force her to fill the silence; to say everything she was trying to hold back.

"Work fills a gap in my life. Is that what you want to hear? I work so much so I don't have to spend any time at home in my tiny, lonely apartment. A slow work day here just meant I could spend more time with my fiancé. A slow work day in Boston means I have to find something to do."

"So it's not what you're missing out on it's who? Is that right?" Archie pushed slightly.

"I miss her Archie. There's no use pretending. You know it, I know it and she knows it. The whole god damn town knows it. We've been acting like a couple again. I wanted to keep a distance but I couldn't stay away. And she couldn't either." Emma sighed deeply, her cheeks puffing out. "This morning I went out for a run and she went crazy because I wasn't in the house when she woke up. She thought I'd walked out on her again."

"And how did that make you feel?"

Emma snorted with laughter. "Like shit. Like no matter what happens it'll always come back to me leaving."

Archie watched as Emma sunk back against the couch cushions. She looked completely defeated and deflated. She may have laughed it off but it was still bothering her. He grabbed his pen and notepad and quickly wrote down _Bring Regina in._

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Walking up the path to the mansion, the last thing Emma expected to see a large bouquet of flowers. They sat on the doorstep, their bright colours shining against the plain white door. No prizes for guessing who they were from. She rolled her eyes at the romantic gesture but she couldn't stop herself from grinning. Quickly she unlocked the door and carried the flowers into the kitchen. She put them on the countertop and lowered her nose into the bouquet, inhaling the sweet scent. Then she saw the card resting on the edge.

_Be ready at 7:30. Regina._

Emma shook her head and checked the clock on her phone. She had at least four hours to get ready. Enough time to get some beauty sleep, she thought. She kicked off her shoes and ran upstairs to the guest room, throwing herself under the covers and settling down for a well-needed nap.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sitting at her office desk, Regina felt restless and uncomfortable. She was trying as hard as she could to focus on the email glaring on the screen in front of her. What she really wanted to do was call Emma. She wanted to know what she was doing and whether or not she liked the flowers. It was a desperate gesture for forgiveness; another attempt at saying "I'm sorry for being such an ass". Taking her on a date was much of the same thing.

Regina couldn't believe how nervous she felt around Emma. Every emotion under the sun had rushed through her body since being in that Boston hospital. Even now her head felt fuzzy, she didn't what she felt towards Emma. She loved her, of course, but she was angry. She couldn't deny it to herself. She was angry that Emma had given up on her, and what they had but she still loved her. It's why she wanted so badly to fix things. The phone ringing pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Mayor Mills." She answered sharply.

"Madame Mayor, its Doctor Hopper." Archie replied cheerily.

"Doctor Hopper, what can do for you?"

"I was just calling to talk to you about Miss Swan."

"Emma? Is she okay? Has something happened?" Regina couldn't keep the worry from her voice.

"She's fine; I just wanted to talk to you about her sessions." Archie said calmly, his voice reassuring Regina's panicked mind. "I wondered if you'd possibly agree to me suggesting you join us for a session or two."

Instantly Regina felt her defensive walls spike up. "Why on earth would you need me there?"

"Because I believe a lot of what Emma is going through can only be worked through with your assistance."

"Have you spoken to Miss Swan about this? Because, believe me, I don't think she'd be on board with it."

"Not yet no, I wanted to see how you felt about it first."

"Call me again once you've spoken to her. Good luck with that, Doctor Hopper." Regina ended the call and suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.

She had enough respect for Doctor Hopper and the work he did but she wasn't overly fond of the man. She resented the know-it-all attitude he had displayed when she and Emma saw him for couples therapy. If it could help Emma though, she would be willing to enter the psychiatrist's office again; especially if it brought them closer together.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two and a half hours later, Emma groggily rubbed her eyes as she woke from her nap. She stretched out her arms and sat upright. As her brain starting to wake up with her, her stomach filled with butterflies as she remembered her date with Regina. She jumped out of bed as if a bolt of electricity had shot through her and ran to the bathroom.

Steam from the hot shower soon filled the bathroom, fogging up the windows and mirrors. The radio was blaring and Emma danced excitedly in the shower. It was fun to feel like a giddy school girl again. This feeling had fizzled away long ago and it was incredible to have it back. In all the time she'd spent in Boston, no-one had made her feel this way. She just didn't think it would be Regina to bring that feeling back again.

With her hair wrapped up in a towel and a fluffy robe covering her body, Emma waltzed her way into the guest room to try and find something date-worthy. A task that was bound to be difficult considering everything she had to wear was still packed in a suitcase. And she guessed none of it would be suitable. Almost furiously she tore through her clothes, seeing what she could put together.

"I'm a cop and I have the wardrobe of a cop." She grumbled, staring down at the pile of clothes in front of her. "There's gotta be something in here."

A light bulb went off in her head and she jumped up from the floor and ran towards Regina's room. The doors of the walk-in closet were shut, shielding the immense treasures inside. Emma had always been both impressed and intimidated by Regina's wardrobe. She was always very protective of the labels inside. Usually Emma wasn't bothered by the designer threads but she needed something special.

"Jackpot" She grinned.

Emma let the robe slip off of her shoulders and land on the floor. Eagerly she began to paw through the hangers, letting her fingers linger on the exquisite materials. As Emma took in the clothes around her, she noticed one very troubling thing. Nearly every item was a varying shade of black. When they'd been together, Regina wore bright colours and she looked beautiful doing so. Now everything was dark and gloomy looking. Emma couldn't help but feel slightly guilty about that.

The carpet felt thick beneath her toes as she tiptoed around the room. She began to pull boxes down from the shelves, not snooping exactly but she knew she shouldn't be doing it. It didn't stop her though. More than anything she wanted to know how Regina had been. How she'd really been, not her well-practised Madam Mayor face. It was complete bullshit but Emma knew she was too proud to let it drop.

Standing up on her tiptoes, Emma reached to the back of the shelf until her fingertips touched a shoebox. With little struggle she managed to pull the box forward and lift it down. A fine layer of dust covered the lid, leaving Emma's finger marks all over it. She let out a puff of breath and blew most of the dust away before gingerly lifting the lid up. She gasped in shock as she saw what was inside.

"Holy shit."

The box was filled with keepsakes from their relationships. There were old ticket stubs, receipts and photographs. Seeing their whole relationship in a box brought a lump to her throat. Her legs felt like they'd given way. She eased herself onto the floor and sat cross-legged with the box in front of her.

Slowly she began to pick through the contents; letting her gaze roam across everything inside. With each little memento she picked up, the knot in her stomach became tighter and tighter. She couldn't stop the tears from piercing at her eyes. She wasn't sure whether they were happy tears or not. Soon she found herself laughing out loud at the goofy pictures and reminiscing over all the movies they'd seen and the concerts they'd been too. There were even ticket stubs from the charity event where they first met. Those hit Emma hard. This box, she thought, could hold the key to mending their broken relationship.

Lost in her thoughts, she only just heard the sound of her phone ringing back in the guest room. Reluctantly she shoved the box back on the shelf and ran towards her room. In the back of her mind she was hoping it would be Regina calling. As if they had some sort of psychic connection and Regina would just know what Emma had found. Once she actually reached her phone, she was incredibly disappointed. Graham's number flashed across the screen and she rolled her eyes. An unwanted break from the little Storybrooke bubble she was living in.

"Swan speaking" She snapped, her tough cop voice re-surfacing.

"Missing me yet?" Graham chuckled. "Just calling to check in on you I, well we, miss having you around here."

"I'm sat half naked in my ex-fiancés closet. How do you think I am?" Emma replied sheepishly.

"Damn, I'd say you're doing just fine. Have you had any thought about whether you're coming back to us? Or do I really need to start looking for new partners." His voice had a ring of someone trying to hold back their disappointment.

Emma gave her shoulders and involuntary shrug. "Who the hell knows? Regina...she changes things I guess."

"The guys are taking bets on whether you'll be back or not. I said the only thing Emma Swan is married too is her job."

"Yeah well I was nearly married to Regina first so she's already one up, ya'know?"

"Okay Swan, enjoy your night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He laughed loudly.

"See ya, Graham." She said softly.

The phone beeped as she hung up and she let it drop to the floor. In truth she did miss her job and she did miss her colleagues and yes even Graham. She looked down at her phone and saw that she didn't have too long left to get ready. There was no time for her to linger on big decisions. She grabbed the first black dress she saw in her suitcase and put it on. Emma did a little twirl in the mirror; checking herself out from every angle. It wasn't perfect but it would have to do.

Emma sat herself down in front of the mirror and began slicking on eyeliner and mascara. While she finished off her eye make-up with a small flick, the doorbell rang and she quickly made her way barefoot downstairs. As she opened the door, her heart skipped a few beats. There in front of her was Regina, looking as glamorous as ever, with another bunch of flowers in her arms.

Regina held out her arm towards Emma. "Shall we?"


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Update! Thank you for all the lovely and encouraging reviews on the last chapter, hope you enjoy this one just as much!  
Bex x**

**Chapter Ten**

Emma couldn't suppress her nervous laughter as she took hold of Regina's hand. Her fingers felt cold from the fresh outside air. She pulled Regina into the house and close into her body. The kiss was inevitable. Emma could feel it on her mouth long before their lips even touched. When it finally happened, Emma could feel the heat radiating from Regina. Her hand searched for the door frame to stop herself from falling. It was Regina who eventually pulled them apart, a naughty smirk across her face.

"Get your shoes, get your coat. We have a reservation to keep." Regina ordered with a wink.

Leaving Regina standing by the door, Emma ran as fast as she could up the stairs and into the guest room. She slipped her feet into a pair of Regina's black heels and put on a jacket. One last look in the mirror and an anxious pat down of her blonde curls and she was ready to go.

Down in the entranceway Regina was pacing around in a circle. She still had the flowers clutched in her hand only now they were in an ornate glass vase. Her attention was focused on the flowers, arranging them carefully. She didn't turn around until Emma's heels began to click against the wood of the stairs. Her own heels clicked as she spun around to face the stairway. Once again she was taken aback by Emma's appearance.

Confident and calmly, Emma made her way down the stairs. Her fingers were gripped tightly on the banister. High heels and her nerves made for an incredibly unstable walk. The last thing she wanted to do was tumble head over heels; her body was damaged enough as it was. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she spun gracefully in a circle.

"What do you think?" She said with a laugh.

"Incredible." Regina nodded approvingly. "Are you ready to go?"

"I look like a total jackass, but sure, I'm ready to go."

The glass vase made a clinking sound as Regina set it down onto one of the side tables by the door. While her back was turned, Emma crept up close behind her. Regina could feel the warmth of her breath brushing the back of her neck. It almost made her too anxious to turn around. Almost. She spun on her heels to face Emma; the tips of their noses were practically touching.

"You do not look like a jackass, Emma Swan." Regina whispered breathlessly.

Emma smirked and shook her head. She pressed her lips against Regina's cheek, moving closer and closer to her ear.

"Let's get out of here."

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The radio made a low buzzing noise as they drove through the town, playing some perky pop song and cutting through the blissful quiet in the car. Not too long ago being together in a car would've been nothing but awkward and uncomfortable but now it was bordering on enjoyable. From the corner of her eye, Regina could see Emma twisting a gold ring on her finger. Something she only did when she was feeling out of place or nervous.

"You look beautiful tonight, Emma." Regina said, focusing her eyes back on the road.

Instantly Emma felt the blood rush to her face and she silently thanked God for the darkness. The last thing she needed was for Regina to know that she a nervous, blushing mess. Regina did know, of course, and she considered it to be one of Emma's most charming traits.

The car rolled into the parking lot outside the restaurant, and Emma felt that familiar bubble of excited nerves in her stomach. Through the window, she could see the flickering flames of candles on all of the tables. The place seemed fairly busy. A few families but mostly it was couples dotted around the place. She couldn't remember the last time she'd be on an actual date. Somehow grabbing a beer after work with one of the guys from the squad didn't quite strike her as romantic. And as much as Graham had tried, he never succeeded on getting Emma Swan in – or out of – a dress.

"This place is new." Emma noted, opening up her car door. "Looks nice; you been here before?"

Regina shook her head. "Sadly, I've never had a reason too."

As they walked up to the restaurant, Emma edged ahead of Regina; reaching the door first and open it wide. Regina bowed her head and stepped into the warmth of the building. She could sense Emma following close behind her, walking slowly. If she had to guess she would say Emma was currently eyeing everyone and everything in the building, taking in her surroundings.

A young and perky waitress bounded to the door to greet them. She had a stack menus clutched in her arm and a pen tucked behind her ear.

"Good evening ladies! Madame Mayor." She said, nodding respectfully in Regina's direction. "My name is Ashley and I'll be your waitress for this evening. If you'd like to follow me, I will take you to your table."

They followed the waitress to the back of the restaurant, who led them to a very private booth that was out of the way of everyone. Emma had a very sure feeling that Regina had requested this specific table. She wouldn't be completely surprised if she had been here earlier in the day and scoped out the best table. She had never been one to settle for anything less than the best. Regina ordered glasses of white wine to be sent to the table. The waitress nodded and bounced off towards the bar, leaving the two ladies alone with their menus.

"She was cheery." Emma rolled her eyes as they sat down, the waitress bouncing off towards the bar.

Soft classical music drifted out of the speakers on the wall, playing quiet and calm. It was just enough to drown out the sound of everyone else in the building, cutting out chatter and clinking cutlery, making Regina feel as if she and Emma were the only ones around. There was a blissful feeling in the moment. Regina couldn't take her eyes off of Emma as she scanned the menu in front of her. Every few lines her nose would scrunch up in disgust, or she'd raise her eyebrows when she saw something she particularly liked. Regina was still in her own little world of adoration when Emma lowered her menu.

"What're you having? I can't decide."

"I, uh, I haven't even looked yet." Regina replied, completely flustered.

"You don't need too." Emma stated bluntly, a little smirk on her face. "They have Caesar salad."

"Oh Emma Swan, you think you know me so well..." Regina laughed and raised an eyebrow.

It only took her a cursory glance at the menu to find what she wanted. She could almost feel the proud smugness emanating from across the table. She closed up her menu and put it down in front of her. Emma was less decisive about her meal choices, and spent another 5 minutes reading through the entire menu.

There was still a look of troubled indecisiveness on Emma's face as the waitress appeared at the side of the table, her notepad under her arm and two glasses of wine in her hands. Regina gave Emma a sharp kick under the table and gestured her head towards the waitress.

"I can give you another 5 minutes if you'd like?" She offered happily.

"Do not give her any more time." Regina said sternly. "I would like to eat some time before midnight."

"Okay okay, I'll just have the same as you." Emma said, not sounding entirely sure of herself. "Caesar salad, right?"

"Wrong. Two steaks, both cooked medium rare."

The waitress glanced at Emma, making sure that this was alright by her, and scribbled it all down onto her notepad when she received an approving nod. A look of shock was still faintly on Emma's face as the waitress left once more. It made Regina wish she had a camera with her. That was a face that needed to be framed for all to see. The waitress gathered up the menus and excused herself from the table.

"Well you are just full of surprises, aren't you?" Emma pouted. "Since when do you order anything other than salad?"

"I told you, Miss Swan, things have changed since you've been gone."

The slightly sad edge in Regina's voice did not go unnoticed. She mentally scolded herself for it, knowing how it would have made her feel. Emma looked down uncomfortable at the table and began playing with her cutlery; anything to avoid Regina's gaze in that moment.

"We need to talk about...whatever this is." Emma said quietly. "Don't we?"

Regina took a sip of wine and held it in her mouth until the chilled liquid became warm. She needed a few seconds to thing, to compose herself so a disastrous rush of emotions didn't come pouring out.

"Talk about what, Emma? We're just having dinner." Regina stated coolly.

"Oh and last night we were just having sex?" Emma snapped, a lot less calm than her other half.

In that moment it felt like everyone in the restaurant was listening in. Regina swallowed hard and tried to maintain her regal composure. She wasn't sure if it was working or not. Emma kept her focus down on the tabletop.

"The ball is in your court Emma, you know that. You are welcome to stay for as long as you like. In fact if I had it my way you'd stay forever, but I understand that you might not want that." Regina replied softly. "That you have a life outside of Storybrooke."

Emma opened her mouth to reply, albeit not knowing what she was going to say, but was stopped as the waitress showed up with their steaks. Both of them felt quietly thankful for the interruption. They began to eat silently. There was no pressure for either of them to make conversation and Emma was grateful that she'd escaped the need to respond.

As suddenly as the talk of the future had started, it had ended just as quick. Occasionally the talk would drift towards their current living situation and what may happen in a few weeks, but that talk would be diverted almost immediately. It was a silent agreement that they would just enjoy being together in a beautiful restaurant and eating delicious food. The wine was flowing and they both felt free of responsibilities.

"Okay whatever I said before, I take it back." Emma giggled, draining her glass. "This was a good idea. It was a fucking great idea."

"Language, Miss Swan!" Regina tried to warn but even she couldn't hold in her laughter.

Across the room, Regina could see their waitress leaning up against the wall looking incredibly bored and tired. It suddenly occurred to her that the restaurant was empty. They were the only ones left.

Regina leant forward and lowered her voice "Emma, we're the only ones left."

"We can finish dessert at home then." Emma gave a naughty wink.

The waitress caught Regina's eye and hurried on over, hoping that they would be requesting the bill. When Regina handed over her credit card, the woman almost gave a sigh of relief. It did not go unnoticed by the women. Emma very nearly made a crushing sarcastic remark but she was quickly stopped by a withering look from Regina. When the waitress returned with the card, the women stood up and helped each other put on their jackets.

As they left the restaurant, the cold night air hit the like a wall. It was only then that they realised just how tipsy they were. Regina was thankful she'd chosen a restaurant that they could easily walk home from. They linked arms and began to walk home, swaying slightly as they went. They could only imagine how shocked the residents of Storybrooke would've been had they seen them. A gust of wind made them pull tighter into each other. Regina could hear Emma's teeth chattering against the cold. They were nearly home when Emma stopped and took her heels off, cursing quietly as her bare soles touched the concrete.

"I don't know how you walk in these damn shoes day in, day out." Emma muttered, tucking her shoes under her arm.

"Practice, my dear, practice." Regina laughed.

"Gimme a pair of sneakers any day." Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I must admit, I was surprised that you even owned a pair of heels. Louboutin's none the less."

"Like I could afford Louboutin's, I'm a cop, not a drug dealer!" She threw her head back as she laughed.

"They're knock-offs? I could've sworn they were real!" Regina looked down in surprise, taking the shoes from Emma's hand and studying them closer.

"They're as real as I am. I just didn't say they were mine." Emma muttered under her breath.

"Emma Swan! Are these my shoes?!" Regina exclaimed.

With that, Emma took off running down the street and towards the mansion. The wind made her hair whip wildly behind her and her chest hurt from laughing as she ran. Behind her she could hear the clicking of Regina's heels speeding up but Emma didn't stop to turn around. The house stood lit up in front of her and leant back against the door feeling both exhausted and excitable. It only took a minute or so before Regina caught up with her. Her dark figure appeared at the end of the walkway, the smile on her face both beautiful and coy. Regina walked slowly up the path towards Emma, only now she was standing up straight waiting with baited breath.

Regina walked towards Emma with such elegance and grace that she almost looked as if she were floating. In that moment, any doubts Emma had overstaying were completely washed away. It was Regina she wanted. It was Regina she loved. She could barely stay still long enough for Regina to make it to the porch. She wanted to kiss her and she wanted to kiss her now. She longed to feel Regina's body in her arms. To hold her so close that it would feel like she'd never let go.

"Regina..." She began in a near silent whisper.

She was met only with a slow shake of the head. Regina lifted her index finger and pressed it to Emma's lips before dragging it down towards her chin. Emma couldn't take her eyes away from Regina. She watched as Regina came even closer, and then she felt her. Their lips pressed together softly, causing a shiver to travel through Emma's entire body. Regina could sense the feeling, as it reverberated in her own body. She pressed herself into Emma, forcing the blonde up against the door. Regina kissed her again only this time with much more intensity. Emma opened her mouth to speak again, only she was once again stopped by the tip of Regina's index finger.

"Wait." She whispered into Emma's ear.

A wave of anticipation rolled over her. She wanted Regina and she wanted her now. The last thing she wanted to do was wait but she did as she was told. Emma stood patiently as Regina unlocked the door and shed her coat and shoes. The coat dropped heavily to the floor. Emma wriggled out of her own jacket and let it join Regina's in a heap in front of the door. They barely had the door locked before they were in each other's arms again. This time, Regina didn't hold back. She grabbed Emma with such strength that she thought she might tumble to the ground. Her hands came to rest in the small of Emma's back, her fingers scrunched in the fabric. It was magical, as cliché as that was. Regina didn't just see fireworks, she felt them.

"I owe you, Miss Swan." Regina said almost breathlessly.

Regina pulled herself away from Emma, noticing the excited sparkle in her eyes. She was biting on her bottom lip, looking both restless and eager.

"Can you at least wait until we get upstairs?" Regina smirked. Her fingers ran up and down Emma's arms, leaving behind a trail of goose bumps.

Emma shook her head fiercely, her bottom lip stuck out in a childish pout. She actually had to resist the urge to cross her arms and stomp her feet. It was only partly for show, she really didn't want to wait until they got upstairs. When Regina raised an eyebrow at her, she tilted her head in the direction of the office.

"Oh no, no, no!" Regina frowned, holding her hands up.

"Oh yes, yes, yes." Emma grinned as she stretched her arm to her upper back and began unzipping her dress. "Do you really want to wait?"

With each pull of the zipper Regina's heart skipped a beat. It was mesmerizing. The house could fall down around her feet and she would still be staring at Emma. As Emma reached the end of the zip, she turned her back on Regina and slowly walked towards the office. The flash of Emma's bare skin drew Regina with no problem. Obediently she followed.

Regina stood by the door, an intense feeling of excitement and anxiety caused her stomach to twist itself into knots. She rested herself against the doorframe, feeling like she needed the extra support to stay on her feet. Emma had positioned herself in the centre of the room, standing and waiting, with her hip cocked to the side. The sleeve of her dress began to slip down her shoulders, but she didn't make a move. This was a battle of will and she was not going to lose.

"Really Miss Swan, do I have to do everything?" Regina

Regina's fingertips felt cold on Emma's warm shoulders. She hooked a finger underneath each sleeve and gently pulled them down. She started to to plant a line of kisses along Emma's collar bone. Bright red lipstick marked her pale skin. She could feel Regina's hands pressing on her waist. The trail of kisses began to make their way up Emma's neck. It caused a pulsing sensation to shoot through Emma's body.

After that, the two of them were sent into a frenzy. Emma felt her dress slip to the floor as she helped Regina out of her own dress. Regina put her arms around Emma, her hands coming to rest at the small of Emma's back, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing the skin. Kissing Emma, Regina felt everything else disappear. All she could focus on was the feel and the taste of her mouth. It was intoxicating. Her fingers began to tug on the elastic of Emma's underwear and they found themselves unwilling to break apart long enough to take the underwear off.

Regina laughed and gently bit down on Emma's lip before dropping to her knees. A damp patch had already begun to form in the front of the fabric and Regina found herself barely able to resist. She used the tip of her tongue to follow the line of the black thong, ending at the top again. With her hands planted firmly on Emma's ass cheeks, she used her teeth to pull the underwear down. Emma gasped as the cold air hit her hot sex.

"Desk?" Emma smirked, stepping backwards, her eyes wide with excitement

"Not the desk." Regina looked up at Emma from the floor.

Before Emma could make another move, Regina leant forward and began to kiss the tops of Emma's thighs. The blonde became powerless. She looked down at the top of Regina's head and felt herself screaming internally for her to move her mouth inwards. This was like torture. And then it all stopped. Regina rose from the floor and pulled on Emma's hand, leading her over to the couch.

"Be a good girl my dear." Regina whispered into Emma's ear.

Regina placed her hands on Emma's shoulders and pushed her down onto the couch. Emma grinned and draped herself like silk against the arm. Regina knelt on the floor and pushed Emma's legs apart. She was drawn towards the glistening between Emma's legs like a magnet.

Regina pressed her mouth between Emma's legs and began dragging the tip of her tongue up and down. Underneath her hands, she could feel Emma's hips begin to wriggle. Emma bit down hard on her lip, willing herself not to cry out with pleasure. So far, Regina wa going everywhere but the one place Emma wanted her too. She found herself trying hard to angle her body, almost forcing Regina to go where she wanted her too.

To Regina, it was an endurance test. She wanted to know just how long she could keep Emma squirming. She could feel the heels of Emma's feet digging into her back as she was pushed closer. Emma was right on the edge, she could feel it. Just when she thought she couldn't take anymore, Emma felt Regina's tongue slip inside her. Her movements became faster and Emma felt her body slip more and more out of her control.

"Don't stop…" Emma moaned breathlessly "I'm...cumming."

Regina stopped and pulled herself away. She saw the frustration flash across Emma's face, and grinned wickedly. Emma watched Regina slowly lick her lips and began to almost crawl up Emma's body. She brought herself up close to Emma's ear and nibbled on the lobe.

"Not yet you're not." She whispered.

Her arm snaked down Emma's body, tracing lines as she went. Emma looked at her with eager anticipation and then she felt it. Regina's fingers pushed inside her; her body arched and shivered in response. Regina worked her perfectly. Even after all this time she hadn't forgotten exactly what Emma liked. She literally knew her inside out. It wasn't long before Regina's fingers were dripping and Emma was crying out.

Emma's body shook hard as she climaxed, and for a moment her mind went blank. Regina gave a small satisfied smile and slowly eased her fingers out of Emma. Slowly she sucked the taste of Emma from the length of her fingers, feeling incredibly happy with herself.

"Consider me wined and dined." Emma laughed, throwing her head against the sofa, still sounding breathless.

"I told you I owed you." Regina sat down next to Emma, stretching her legs across her lap.

They turned their heads to face each other, just watching. Emma noted the way Regina's gaze flew everywhere. Regina watched Emma's chest rise and fall quickly as she caught her breath.

"Regina Mills," Emma said quietly. "I love you."


End file.
